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Every January 25 — on Sunday this year — is Burns Night, a global celebration of the life and legacy of the Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns.
Why it matters: His name might not be familiar, but every New Year’s Eve — or Hogmanay, as it is called in Burns's native home Scotland — millions of people sing Auld Lang Syne, a poem he wrote in 1788.
Why now: Several events are happening in Los Angeles, too. We're here to tell you about them. Whiskys? Bagpipes? Poetry, anyone?
The name of Robert Burns might not be familiar, but every New Year’s Eve — or Hogmanay, as it is called in his native home Scotland — millions of people sing Auld Lang Syne, a poem that he wrote in 1788.
Every Jan. 25 — on Sunday this year — is Burns Night, a global celebration of the life and legacy of the Scottish poet and lyricist.
Several events are happening in Los Angeles, too, which I can attest are rather zany affairs — if only because of the sheer number of tartan kilts in sight, the haunting, piercing but tuneful drone of bagpipes, which can only bring to mind a windswept mountain top, and a generous dash of whiskys (plural). More on that later.
Some 30,000 square miles in size and home to around 5.5 million people today, Scotland was officially united with England in 1707 when their two parliaments became one and created Great Britain.
However, as you may have seen in movies like Braveheart, Rob Roy, and even Trainspotting, a streak of fierce independence has run through Scotland for centuries, so don’t make the mistake of assuming that, just because the countries are joined geographically, that English and Scottish people are more or less the same.
Besides historical rebels, beautiful countryside and world-class golf courses, Scotland has always punched well above its weight: penicillin, television, the telephone, artificial refrigeration, and the raincoat — “the mac” — were all invented by Scots. Naturalist John Muir, the Father of the National Parks,” was born in Dunbar, and Nessie is perhaps the most legendary of all cryptids.
But it’s Robert Burns — often known as Rabbie — whose name and work has lasted centuries as Scotland’s National Poet.
In 1796, Burns died at just 37 — on the same day his son Maxwell was born — and he had worked almost exclusively on traditional Scottish songs during the latter stages of his life, which ensured that several hundred folk songs, like Auld Lang Syne, were not lost to history.
Burns Night is a tradition that was begun by some of his friends in 1801. Scottish people and any other admirers and friends of Scotland will gather together for poetry readings, music, dancing, and of course a meal of haggis. For those who don’t know what it is, it’s rather an odd-looking meal, and rather an acquired taste.
A bagpiper will lead the haggis, the traditional centerpiece, into the dining room, where a poem written by Burns called Address to a Haggis is read aloud before the haggis is dramatically cut into pieces for everyone to share.
The poem in question describes the delicacy as having “buttocks like a distant hill,” among other writerly flourishes. Read for yourself here.
When I was a child, I was told that haggises were small, furry creatures that lived in the Scottish Highlands and were too clever to be caught, hence you rarely saw them on the dinner plate. Buttock size was not mentioned.
That’s not true of course, and this might be why: haggis is made from minced sheep’s heart, liver and lungs mixed with oatmeal, suet, onions and spices then traditionally boiled inside the sheep’s stomach. It’s savory and earthy, somewhat rich and a little gamey. Maybe not something you eat slice after slice, perhaps.
Over dinner and helpings of haggis, raucous toasts are celebrated with “drams” or small glasses of whisky — surely Scotland’s most famous export — and there are recitations of some of Burns’s other poems, like A Red, Red Rose, Ae Fond Kiss, or Tam o’Shanter.
The latter was the name of a drunken farmer who taunts the devil and is chased by witches in a poem written by Burns in 1791. He wears a tam o’shanter, a flat woolen cap with a pom-pom in the center.
Angelenos might recognize that as the name of the restaurant and pub in Los Feliz.
I went to my first Burns Night in L.A. last year, and I must say, that despite being an Englishman I was heartily welcomed, and I did enjoy my taste of the famous dish — though the bagpipes, also an acquired taste for this “sassenach” are yet to be something on my regular playlist.
Festooned with Scottish flags, souvenirs and regalia, “the Tam” is one of the venues that will be hosting its 41st Burns Nights on Jan. 27 and 28, with two seatings each night.
Also, the St. Andrew’s Society — named in honor of the Scottish patron saint - will host their sold-out Burns Night on January 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. It’s their 96th event, and singing for his supper as the winner of their annual Robert Burns Award is Dundee-born actor Brian Cox, who played the ruthless Logan Roy in HBO’s Succession (and was in Braveheart).
Alternatively, the St. Andrews University Alumni network here in L.A. is also celebrating a day early, on Jan. 24, 6 - 9 p.m. at MacLeod’s Brewery in Van Nuys.
It’s the very first Burns Night celebration organized by Sammy Ginsberg, a self-described, home-grown “Valley Girl” who left L.A. in 2012 to study at St. Andrews, a venerable institution founded in 1413. It’s where Prince William met his wife-to-be, Kate Middleton.
Ginsberg fell hard and fast in love with Scotland, describing her first visit as “magical.”
As an aspiring writer and poet, Ginsberg was especially inspired by the reverence for literature that she found.
“Scotland is a rich place filled with imagination that truly loves writers and I think we can learn a lot from them,” Ginsberg said, adding that was one reason why she co-started the Los Feliz Writers Festival.
Alongside the neeps, tatties and haggis there will be haggis pizza — surely a new culinary innovation — as well as Scottish beer and music from bagpiper John McLelan Allan, who has appeared in many movies, TV shows and has worked with performers such as Korn, The Chieftains, and Michael Flatley.
Though Ginsberg developed a taste for fish and chips when she was in Scotland. “That was my stress food when I was in the library on a deadline crunch,” she said.
She admits that it took a few more attempts before she became a fan of haggis.
Nearly 680,000 people with a Scottish or Ulster-Scots background call Southern California home, according to the 2020 census, so “slàinte” to all of you, and try to get hold of a bottle of Irn-Bru — an electric orange-colored soda from Scotland — as it’s said to be the best cure for a hangover.
“It really gets you going again!” Ginsberg said.
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Steven McDonald was 12 when he and his slightly older brother Jeff started performing as Redd Kross, becoming a part of the burgeoning punk scene in ‘80s Los Angeles.
Why now: On Sunday, McDonald is headlining a benefit show in Pasadena for musicians who lost gear in the Eaton Fire.
Backstory: As Redd Kross, the then tween and his older brother Jeff were part of the L.A. punk rock scene that spawned groups like Black Flag and Adolescents.
Punk rose up in L.A.'s Hollywood in the 1970s with groups like X, the Germs and The Go-Go's. Just a handful of years later, disaffected kids from the ‘burbs picked up guitars and an attitude and took punk hardcore with bands such as Adolescents, Black Flag and Social Distortion.
Steven McDonald, then 12, had a front row seat to all that noise, angst and swagger as one of the core members, along with his slightly older brother Jeff, of the Hawthorne-based punk group, Redd Kross.
The younger McDonald had just picked up the bass — the instrument he plays in Redd Kross — and the guitar a year or so before. In no time, the brothers found themselves in the thick of a thriving scene.
“ It's a unique thing that I got to experience,” McDonald told LAist. “We got to play the punk clubs like in Chinatown at the Hong Kong Cafe, and then later on the Whisky a Go Go. It was a really magical moment around 1979, 1980 — when I was 12 or 11.”
Redd Kross, known briefly as the Tourists before, opened for an early incarnation of Black Flag. New York art punk gods, Sonic Youth, frequently performed with the group. Social Distortion, McDonald said, opened for them when he was around 13.
“It was just this super creative, supportive environment. Most of these people were older than me in their early 20s,” McDonald said, adding that many of them were art school kids open to groovy new things. “I'd get a lot of CalArts people and people that had kind of been around for the glitter scene in Los Angeles and it kind of was morphing into this new punk rock thing and had a very independent spirit.”
And no one thought the McDonald brothers were out of place.
“People thought like, ‘Oh, if you've got something to say, then don't get weighed down with, like, refining anything. Just go say it.’”
The brothers soaked in L.A. punk lore watching legends from The Runaways to The Go-Go’s perform on stage. And knocked on doors on their own until local clubs and venues let them play.
They were persistent, but McDonald said they couldn’t have done it without the support of their parents.
“ They're not musicians, they're not hippies on a commune,” he said.
In fact, their father is a welder who's still running the same small business with their mom.
“They just could recognize that their kids had some kind of intense interest and even if they didn't share it or understand it, they could recognize that,” he said.
That meant pick-ups and drop-offs — the usual stuff, in a way, for parents. “They would actually drive us to the Whisky a Go Go and they would sit in the parking lot at the gas station across the street,” he said.
As Redd Kross gained success with their pop punk sound, the band became elder statesmen looking over the next generation of bands that were coming up.
Last year, McDonald attended the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where grunge group Soundgarden was inducted.
“Those guys opened for my band in 1986,” McDonald said lovingly.
It was a moment that brought into relief the many decades that Redd Kross has been making music. And they’re still at it — working on a new album this year and going on tour abroad and locally.
On Sunday, McDonald will headline a benefit show (LAist is a media sponsor) at the record shop, Healing Force of the Universe, in Pasadena to help musicians replace equipment and gear they lost in the Eaton Fire.
He’ll play an acoustic set of Redd Kross songs, including “Annie’s Gone,” which he previewed in a performance at the LAist studios.
The song is a reference to the character Annie in the 1980 film, Foxes. The role was played by Cherie Currie, the lead singer of one of McDonald’s favorite bands, The Runaways. He first saw them played at the Whisky in 1979.
“ I just really worshiped them and they inspired me because they were teenagers and they were bridging that gap between punk and hard rock. They were just out there doing it,” he said.
Performing solo is something of a first for him. At Sunday's show (tickets are still available), McDonald will include "Annie's Gone" in his acoustic set — a song normally sung by his lead singer brother Jeff.
"It's a rare opportunity to see Steve McDonald singing 'Annie's Gone.'"
Gear Donation Drive and Acoustic Show
When: Jan. 25, 2 p.m.
Where: Healing Force of the Universe, 1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets: $12 (pre-sale) / $15 (door) / or donate a working musical instrument
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The records of more than 3,000 patients at CHLA’s former Center for Transyouth Health and Development will now be protected from federal subpoenas until at least February 2029 under a settlement.
What the federal government was seeking: The DOJ wanted to pull a wide swath of information from CHLA’s records related to hormone therapy prescriptions, including the identities and social security numbers of the people it was prescribed to.
What CHLA patients’ lawyers are saying: “This is a massive victory for every family that refused to be intimidated into backing down,” said Khadijah Silver, Director of Gender Justice & Health Equity at Lawyers for Good Government. “The government's attempt to rifle through children's medical records was unconstitutional from the start.”
What’s in the settlement: Under the agreement, which was first reported by Reuters, the federal government has withdrawn its requests for personal information like social security numbers, records and “documents relating to the clinical indications, diagnoses or assessments that formed the basis for prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy.”
What the hospital and DOJ say about the win: LAist has reached out for comment to both entities and has not heard back.
The backstory: The subpoenas were issued on or about June 11, 2025, according to the settlement. They were made public in July, though many patient families remained in the dark about whether they were affected. CHLA announced it planned to close its clinic for trans youth June 12.
After the Department of Justice issued a wide-ranging subpoena to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles last June, the records of more than 3,000 patients now will be protected until at least February 2029 under a settlement reached between patient families and the federal government.
What the federal government was seeking
The DOJ wanted to pull a wide swath of information from CHLA’s records related to hormone therapy prescriptions, including the identities and social security numbers of the people it was prescribed to. Lawyers for CHLA patient families said the broad request also included details of patients’ sexual health data and records of their mental health and said the inquiry violated their constitutional rights.
What CHLA’s lawyers are saying
“This is a massive victory for every family that refused to be intimidated into backing down,” said Khadijah Silver, director of gender justice and health equity at Lawyers for Good Government. “The government's attempt to rifle through children's medical records was unconstitutional from the start.”
Silver also noted that DOJ confirmed it had not received any sensitive patient data under the parts of the subpoena that had been struck down.
What’s in the settlement
Under the agreement, which was first reported by Reuters, the federal government has withdrawn its requests for personal information like social security numbers, prescription records and “documents relating to the clinical indications, diagnoses or assessments that formed the basis for prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy.”
The government cannot make new requests of this type to CHLA until February 2029. The settlement also establishes a process for the DOJ to continue to pursue seeking some limited redacted medical records from CHLA.
What it means for parents and children
In the aftermath of the subpoenas, many advocates were worried that families would face federal prosecution for seeking gender-affirming care for their children.
However, according to the settlement, the DOJ said it “is not currently aware of information that would support the federal prosecution of parents or guardians who have sought and consented to receiving gender-related care for their children at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.”
What the hospital and DOJ say about the win
LAist has reached out for comment to both entities and has not heard back.
The backstory
The subpoenas were issued on or about June 11, 2025, according to the settlement. They were made public in July, though many patient families remained in the dark about whether they were affected. CHLA announced it planned to close its clinic for trans youth June 12.
Judges have ruled against similar requests and struck down subpoenas seeking records from other hospitals, like Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Boston Children’s Hospital.
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Los Angeles voters could soon get another chance to weigh in on Measure ULA, better known as the city’s “mansion tax.”
The backstory: First approved by voters in November 2022, the measure has taxed real estate selling for more than $5 million. It funds tenant protection programs and affordable housing construction. But economists have found that because the tax also applies to apartments — not just mansions — housing developers are pulling back on building in the city relative to other parts of L.A. County. One UCLA study concluded the city would have more low-income units on balance if the tax did not apply to new apartments.
What’s new: Now, there’s a new effort brewing at City Hall to change how the “mansion tax” works. City Councilmember Nithya Raman, chair of the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced a motion Friday to place a new measure on the ballot. It would ask voters to exempt recently constructed apartment buildings from the tax, among other changes.
Read on… to learn why tax supporters are calling the reform effort “irresponsible.”
Los Angeles voters could soon get another chance to weigh in on Measure ULA, better known as the city’s “mansion tax.”
First approved by voters in November 2022, the measure has taxed real estate selling for more than $5 million. It funds tenant protection programs and affordable housing construction.
But economists have found that because the tax also applies to apartments — not just mansions — housing developers are pulling back on building in the city compared to other parts of L.A. County. One UCLA study concluded the city would have more low-income units on balance if the tax did not apply to new apartments.
Now, there’s a new effort brewing at City Hall to change how the “mansion tax” works.
City Councilmember Nithya Raman, chair of the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced a motion Friday to place a new measure on the June ballot. The ballot measure would ask voters to exempt recently constructed apartment buildings from the tax, among other changes.
“We've seen some real pressures on the market as a result of ULA,” Raman told LAist. “It was sold to voters and talked about as a mansion tax. I don't think it was intended to slow the construction of new apartments in a city with an acknowledged and widespread housing crisis.”
Supporters of the tax say it’s working as intended. They dispute claims that ULA is responsible for slower housing growth in the city.
No council votes have yet been taken.
Supporters say the tax has funded eviction defense and rent relief programs. It has also produced the city’s largest-ever pot of money for low-income housing development, though less than 200 apartments have been completed and leased so far.
Joe Donlin, director of the group United to House L.A., called the latest reform effort “irresponsible.”
The proposed tax exemption for apartments built within the last 15 years would be “a tax break for developers and billionaires,” Donlin said.
“That would be giving money away from ULA programs that are protecting renters, that are keeping people from falling into homelessness, and building affordable housing,” he said.
Raman’s motion would also cancel the tax on homeowners affected by the Palisades Fire. Another change would restructure certain financing terms in order to attract traditional lenders to participate in ULA-funded affordable housing projects.
Many of the changes are similar to those proposed by state lawmakers in a bill that failed to advance at the tail end of last year’s legislative session in Sacramento.
But those who support reform say without some changes, the tax could soon be thrown out entirely. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is collecting signatures for a separate ballot measure that would overturn not just Measure ULA, but similar taxes across the state.
Mott Smith, a reform proponent and the co-author of a UCLA study that found the tax had sharply reduced high-end real estate sales, said this is shaping up to be a tough political fight.
“I commend Councilmember Raman for doing her best to turn Measure ULA into something that might actually work before it goes away,” Smith said.
Some L.A. council members have already signaled opposition to the push for reform.
Alejandra Alarcon, a spokesperson for Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, said in a statement to LAist that Jurado opposes the motion as written.
“Voters overwhelmingly supported ULA to help build and sustain diverse communities,” the statement read. “Any changes to the measure should be made with community advocates at the table, not without them.”
The new City Council effort has a long way to go before any changes are made to the tax.
If a majority of the council approves it for the June ballot, a majority of local voters would need to sign off on changing a measure that received nearly 58% support from voters back in November 2022.
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On Saturday the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey will honor the 40th anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as other pioneering missions.
The backstory: The event will honor Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher ever selected to go to space as well as other pioneering women astronauts. McAuliffe and her six fellow crew members were lost when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded a little over a minute after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986.
What to expect: The free event will include hands-on activities – such as air rocket building –and a panel discussion with engineers who worked on the Challenger mission. A local retired teacher who was trained on the same curriculum that McAuliffe would have delivered from the shuttle will also give a talk about how she’s kept the legacy of the lost mission alive.
How to attend: The Astronaut Commemoration Day event will be at the Columbia Memorial Space Center at 12400 Columbia Way in Downey from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Go deeper... about the space shuttle model cleared for landing in Downey
