So, you want to see Monday's Tournament of Roses Parade in person, but you don't have grandstand seats. Well, the city of Pasadena has advice for you, if you plan to camp out overnight.
When to go: You’ll have to wait until noon on Sunday to drag your stuff out to Orange Grove or Colorado Boulevard along the parade route — the earliest that spectators will be allowed to stake out their viewing spots.
What NOT to bring: Prohibited items include tents, sofas, bonfires, ladders, boxes to stand on, alcohol, drones, and fireworks.
Read on... for more on how to plan ahead.
So, you want to see Monday's Tournament of Roses Parade in person, but you don't have grandstand seats. Well, the city of Pasadena has advice for you, if you plan to camp out overnight.
When to go: You’ll have to wait until noon on Sunday to drag your stuff out to Orange Grove or Colorado Boulevard along the parade route. That's the earliest spectators will be allowed to place their blankets and chairs to stake out their viewing spots.
You and your items have to stay on the curb until 11:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve, then you can move up to the blue painted line on the street which the city calls the “honor line.” That's as far as you can go. And you have to keep the sidewalk open the whole time.
Minors are allowed on the parade route from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
What NOT to bring: Prohibited items include tents, sofas, bonfires, ladders, boxes to stand on, alcohol, drones, and fireworks.
Bringing horns or pets is discouraged. And if you bring tortillas or marshmallows, plan to eat them and not toss them around, since the odd but persistent practice of throwing these edibles at passing cars is prohibited.
Recommended items to bring: If you plan to camp out to save your spot, a chair and blanket are essential for getting through the night. However, any unoccupied chair will be removed from the parade route. Make sure to also drink healthy fluids and eat a hearty meal to keep yourself warm and hydrated.
Most importantly, dress in layers and have a rain jacket handy as the forecast low will be in the 40s, with a decent (30%) chance of overnight rain continuing into New Year's Day.
Yusra Farzan
has been covering the Rancho Palos Verdes landslide since 2023.
Published February 4, 2026 3:33 PM
Land movement made a section of Narcissa Drive impassable in September 2024.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Topline:
Rancho Palos Verdes city officials announced Tuesday that five more homes ravaged by land movement could be eligible for a buyout. That’s because the city is set to receive around $10 million from a FEMA grant.
How we got here: Land movement in the Portuguese Bend area has increased in Rancho Palos Verdes in recent years, triggered by above-average rainfall since 2022. Those landslides have left around 20 homes uninhabitable and forced dozens of people off the grid after being stripped of power, gas and internet services.
About the grant: Any time a state of emergency is declared in a state, that state, in this case California, can apply for the Hazard Mitigation Grant from FEMA. Those funds are then allocated to cities, tribal agencies and other communities for projects that will help reduce the impact of disasters. The city has a buyout program underway for around 22 homes, also funded through a FEMA grant.
What’s next: Rancho Palos Verdes has applied for additional federal funds to buy out homes in the area, with the goal of demolishing the structures and turning the lots into open space.
The University of Southern California board of trustees has appointed interim president Beong-Soo Kim to be its 13th president.
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Courtesy USC Photo/Gus Ruelas
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Topline:
The University of Southern California board of trustees has appointed interim president Beong-Soo Kim to be its 13th full president. Kim was named as the interim leader in February 2025 and began the role this summer.
Who is he? Kim most recently served as USC’s senior vice president and general counsel and as a lecturer at the law school. Prior to joining USC, he worked at Kaiser Permanente and was a federal prosecutor for the Central District of California.
What’s happened under Kim’s interim presidency: USC faced a $200 million dollar deficit last fiscal year; Kim oversaw the layoffs of hundreds of employees since July.
The University of Southern California board of trustees has appointed interim president Beong-Soo Kim to be its 13th full president.
Kim was named as the interim leader in February 2025 and began the role this summer. He most recently served as USC’s senior vice president and general counsel, and as a lecturer at the law school. Prior to joining USC, he worked at Kaiser Permanente and was a federal prosecutor for the Central District of California.
Soon after his term began, Kim oversaw the university’s effort to manage a $200 million deficit, which also led to hundreds of layoffs.
“We did have to make some difficult decisions last year with respect to our budget and layoffs,” Kim told LAist. “And I'm really pleased that as a result of those difficult decisions, we're now in a much stronger financial position and really for a number of months have been really focusing on the opportunities that we see on the horizon.”
In a call with LAist, and joined by USC board chair Suzanne Nora Johnson, Kim touched on bright spots and some of his priorities. He also touched on the relationship between USC and the Trump administration before a sudden ending to the call.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
LAist: You've talked about addressing the mass layoffs and budget challenges. What do you see as the way forward?
Beong-Soo Kim: Our research expenditures have actually been going up over the last year, over the last couple of years. We're focusing on: How do we provide the best possible educational value to our students? We're focusing on how to maintain and strengthen our academic culture of excellence, open dialogue and engagement with different viewpoints.
And we're also really kind of leaning into artificial intelligence and asking questions as a community about how we incorporate AI responsibly into our education, into our operations, into our research. And there are obviously a lot of important ethical questions that we're working on, and it's really an quite an exciting time to be in the position that I'm in.
What are you excited for?
Well, a couple things that we're really looking forward to are, as part of the anniversary of the United States, we're going to be hosting a National Archives exhibition [of] founding documents in late April. We're also looking forward to helping host the L.A. Olympics in 2028. We have our 150th anniversary coming up in 2030 as a university.
So there's a lot that's on the horizon. We also have the Lucas Museum opening up across the street later this year and, of course, George Lucas is one of our most beloved Trojan alumni. So there's so much vitality, so much energy on the campus right now.
USC has, for the most part, avoided the sort of conflicts that the University of California system and elite private institutions across the country have had with the Trump administration. What can you share about how you plan to manage USC’s relationship with the federal government?
Well, we really make an effort to engage with all levels of government, as well as foundations, the private sector, community groups. That kind of engagement is really more important nowadays. Universities can't just go off on their own. It's important for us to partner and find opportunities to work with others. And that's what we've been doing.
And that's part of the reason why I think that our research has continued to go strongly. And I give a lot of the credit to our faculty and researchers who can continue submitting grant applications and continue to do research in areas that are critically important to the benefit of our community, our nation, and our world. And I think that we -—
Suzanne Nora Johnson: —Actually I'm so sorry, but we have to complete the board meeting, and we've got to run. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. We'll be in touch. Bye. Thanks. Bye.
Keep up with LAist.
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Jill Replogle
covers public corruption, debates over our voting system, culture war battles — and more.
Published February 4, 2026 2:43 PM
Voters wait to cast their ballots inside the Huntington Beach Central Library on Nov. 4, 2025.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Huntington Beach will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision striking down the city’s controversial voter ID law.
What’s the backstory? Huntington Beach voters approved a measure in 2024 allowing the city to require people to show ID when casting a ballot. The state and a Huntington Beach resident promptly sued to block it. But the fight isn't over. The City Council voted unanimously this week to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.
Does the city have a shot? The Supreme Court gets 7,000 to 8,000 requests to review cases each year. The Court grants about 80 of these requests, so the city’s chances of getting the court’s attention are statistically slim.
Read on ... for more about the legal battle.
Huntington Beach will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision striking down the city’s controversial voter ID law.
What’s the backstory?
Huntington Beach voters approved a measure in 2024 allowing the city to require people to show ID when casting a ballot. That contradicts state law — voters in California are asked to provide ID when they register to vote but generally not at polling places.
The ensuing court battle
The state and a Huntington Beach resident promptly sued the city over the voter ID law and won an appeals court ruling striking down the law. The California Supreme Court declined to review the decision earlier this month. The state also passed a law prohibiting cities from implementing their own voter ID laws.
Then, the City Council voted unanimously this week to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.
Does the city have a shot?
The Supreme Court gets 7,000 to 8,000 requests to review cases each year. The Court grants about 80 of these requests, so the city’s chances of getting the court’s attention are statistically slim.
There’s also a question of whether or not the city’s voter ID case meets the Court’s criteria for review — SCOTUS addresses questions of federal law. Mayor Casey McKeon said it does, in a news release, noting a 2008 Supreme Court decision that upheld a state’s voter ID law — in Indiana. But Huntington Beach is a city, and the question in its voter ID case is whether or not a city can implement its own requirements for voting, even if it clashes with state law.
The Trump Administration wants your confidential voter data. What’s behind their battle with CA and other states?
How to keep tabs on Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach holds City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.
You can also watch City Council meetings remotely on HBTV via Channel 3 or online, or via the city’s website. (You can also find videos of previous council meetings there.)
The public comment period happens toward the beginning of meetings.
The city generally posts agendas for City Council meetings on the previous Friday. You can find the agenda on the city’s calendar or sign up there to have agendas sent to your inbox.
Post-fire donations include items made 'with love'
Makenna Sievertson
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California — events, processes and nuances making it a unique place to call home.
Published February 4, 2026 2:17 PM
Cantor Ruth Berman Harris said she's planning on keeping the challah cover for communal celebrations and holidays.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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Topline:
The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center burned down in last year's Eaton Fire, taking with it nearly all of the special and ceremonial items housed inside. Since then, many supporters have donated items large and small, including prayer books, clothes and candlesticks.
Among the donations is a hand-woven challah cover that serves not only as a symbol of faith, but — in this case — evidence of recovery.
Why it matters: Cantor Ruth Berman Harris told LAist the challah cover, made and donated by Karen Fink of Van Nuys, will be used for communal celebrations and holidays to give it an extra layer of “kavod” — of holiness. Challah covers are a traditional sight on a table prepared for a Shabbat meal, where both the bread and a cup of wine are blessed before eating.
The gift: Fink said her weaving guild was already making items for survivors of the L.A.-area fires. When someone suggested she make a challah cover, she got to work.
“I just always like to think about who it's going towards, what it's going to be used for, that it should be used well and loved,” she said.
Despite best efforts, the campus and nearly everything in it was destroyed.
“I had a colleague calling me and asking me what I needed, and I wasn't able to say,” Berman Harris, one of the spiritual leaders of the synagogue, told LAist. “I don't think I was able to say what I needed for about a year.”
In the months that followed the fire, people from around the world stepped up to replace what was lost, including prayer books, clothes and candlesticks. Several donated challah covers, a decorative cloth that’s placed over the braided bread before being blessed and eaten on Shabbat.
A parking sign at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center after the Eaton Fire.
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Josh Edelson
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And while much of the community’s focus is directed toward larger items that need to be replaced — the buildings included — smaller, ceremonial items can make a big difference, too.
Karen Fink, a Van Nuys resident, donated a hand-woven challah cover that she made for the temple. Her weaving guild was already making dish towels for L.A. fire survivors.
“You've got so many things that need to be done and replaced,” Fink said.
“I just always like to think about who it's going towards, what it's going to be used for, that it should be used well and loved,” she continued.
‘Love through the threads’
On Jan. 7, 2025, as the flames closed in on the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, Berman Harris rushed through smoke and falling embers to rescue all 13 sacred Torah scrolls, pieces of parchment with Hebrew text used at services, including weekly on Shabbat.
Berman Harris now works out of an office building in Pasadena, a few miles away from where the center stood.
More than 400 families gathered to worship at the temple before the fire. About 30 families lost their homes, and 40 others were displaced, she said. The congregation has been gathering at the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena.
The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which burned during the Eaton Fire, in January 2025 (top) and in January 2026 (bottom).
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Josh Edelson
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Getty Images
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“The silver lining of when you go through a traumatic loss is that you don't realize A, how strong you are and B, how not alone you are,” said Berman Harris, who has been a part of the congregation for 14 years.
She said the temple has received many gifts to help them rebuild, but Fink’s challah cover will be used for communal celebrations and holidays to give it an extra layer of “kavod” — of holiness.
Challah covers, usually embroidered with Hebrew words and symbols, are a traditional sight on a table prepared for a Shabbat meal, where both the bread and a cup of wine are blessed before eating. The decorative cover is a symbolic way of honoring the bread, while the wine is being blessed first.
“Because you say the blessing over the bread last,” Fink told LAist. “It gets to have this lovely cover so it doesn't get embarrassed.”
Fink said she used one of her more intricate patterns, featuring white and blue threads in a repeating pattern of the Star of David.
The challah cover woven by Karen Fink when it was fresh off the loom.
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Courtesy Karen Fink
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She said it took a couple of hours to wind the thread, about a day to get the project set up on her small loom and another three days to get through the top six rows of stars.
Once the challah cover was complete, it took a few months to get it to Berman Harris, but Fink said she wanted to help in a way that felt more personal than mailing a check.
“They were able to get their Torah scrolls out,” Fink said. “But all the other things that maybe aren't required, but are helpful in enhancing the spirit of Shabbat, the spirit of a synagogue, you know, that was all lost.”
Starting to settle
Berman Harris said the donations have not only helped rebuild their ritual spaces, they were gifted “with love.”
“They're not things you buy on Amazon,” she said. “These are things that you cherish because you can feel the love through the threads.”
Cantor Ruth Berman Harris showing off the handmade challah cover Karen Fink weaved for the congregation.
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Makenna Sievertson
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LAist
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The synagogue has received other challah covers that they’ve distributed to families in the congregation.
On the anniversary of the fire, Josh Ratner, senior rabbi at the temple, told LAist’s AirTalk program that Jewish people have overcome “so much” throughout history.
People embrace inside a tent on the grounds of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center during a commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire on Jan. 6.
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Mario Tama
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“I think that that gives us some firm foundation to know that we can recover from this as well,” he said. “And not just recover, but really our [history] … is one of rebuilding even stronger than before.
“Each time there's been a crisis, we've been able to reinvent different aspects of Judaism and to evolve."
Students carry lanterns they created as symbols of hope as they enter the grounds of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center during a commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire.
