The Brief

At a political summit this summer, California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra briefly broke into Spanish in response to a journalist’s question:

Why should voters choose him over a fresh face?

Becerra could have touted his extensive government experience. He’s a former member of Congress and state attorney general. He also served as Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration.

But Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, reflected on his parents’ labor, in connection to California’s current plight.

“My dad used to say to me: ‘Mijo, si me puedo levantar en la mañana e ir a trabajar, va a ser un buen dia,’” he said. Becerra immediately translated for English speakers: “‘My son, if I get up in the morning and go to work, it’s going to be a good day.’”

Becerra’s father was a construction worker, he explained. So for him, missing out on a day’s work could mean not having enough money to put food on the table.

If elected, Becerra pledged, he’ll work to ensure that Californians have access to affordable healthcare and housing; that they can send their kids to college; and that they “retire in dignity.”

A clip of that conversation is now part of Becerra’s social media strategy, which includes a TikTok account devoted to Spanish speakers.

“For some people, it'll be easier for them to really understand [my platform] if they hear it in Spanish,” Becerra said.

“I want to elevate them,” he added. “They deserve to be as informed as anybody else.”

On social media, Becerra makes being bilingual look easy. But honing his mother tongue, he told LAist, has been anything but.

A lifelong learner

Becerra grew up in a bilingual home in Sacramento. Until college, he thought his Spanish was pretty good.

But when he enrolled in a Spanish class as an undergrad at Stanford University, Becerra discovered he had a lot of room left for growth. So he studied abroad at Spain’s University of Salamanca, where he broadened his understanding of the language's many varieties. Still, his ability to communicate complex ideas in Spanish wasn’t seamless.

When Becerra was first elected to public office in his early thirties, Spanish language news organizations began asking for interviews.

“My words weren't always the most eloquent,” he said, recalling on-camera stumbles. “I found out how important it was to be able to communicate both in English and Spanish, and I have since worked hard to try to make sure I can.”

Today, Spanish speakers around the world compliment Becerra’s fluency.

“I take that as a badge of honor,” he said. “I wish I could do it in more than two languages.”

Karen Bass, seen when she was a candidate for L.A. Mayor, has endorsed former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign for California governor.

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Candidates weigh in on California’s linguistic diversity

Other candidates running in the 2026 race to become California’s next governor said they share Becerra’s goals of connecting with voters in their preferred tongue. (LAist reached out to all of the declared candidates and received responses from two.)

Former state controller Betty Yee is vying for the Democratic nomination. In an email, spokesperson Marcey Brightwell said Yee is “engaging trusted community leaders to facilitate in-language discussions in our diverse communities.” These conversations involve citizens across the state, Brightwell added, including Latinos in the Central Valley and those of Vietnamese descent in Orange County.

Yee has done a little Spanish-language social media engagement, but “she is eager to expand [this effort] in multiple languages as the campaign progresses,” Brightwell said.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the former assemblymember and Los Angeles mayor, noted that more than 200 languages are spoken in California.

“From the first time I got elected in 1994, I've always spoken in English and Spanish,” said Villaraigosa, who is also competing for the Democratic nomination. “And if I could speak Korean, Mandarin or Armenian, I'd do that as well.”

Becoming bilingual was also a challenge for him.

Though Villaraigosa is of Mexican ancestry, his mother chose not to teach him Spanish to shield him from anti-Latino discrimination and the potential of being placed in remedial classes at school.

As a result, Villaraigosa didn’t learn Spanish till he was an adult.

To practice, he’d listen to radio and TV programs and watch movies with subtitles. When he tried to strike up conversations with native speakers, most were supportive, he added. But some “people used to make fun of me and say, ‘No, speak in English.’”

Villaraigosa persisted. And today, he’s fluent enough to communicate.

Reclaiming a language

Wendy Ramirez, an East L.A. native who is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, founded Spanish Sin Pena, an online language program and cultural community that helps people with Latin American roots reclaim their Spanish. Part of that work involves acknowledging and celebrating the region’s many dialects, which have been imbued with Indigenous and African tongues.

Ramirez also helps Latino professionals — including lawyers, teachers, therapists, nurses and politicians — take their Spanish to new heights.

“The population I work with comes from that era where people were punished at school for speaking Spanish,” she said.

Like Villaraigosa’s mother, many of her clients’ parents thought it would be best not to pass on their mother tongue.

“We're all healing together,” Ramirez added. “That self-imposed assimilation was an effort to survive.”

What it means to speak Spanish in public right now 

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to temporarily allow immigration agents to continue treating language as grounds for questioning. According to Justice Brett Kavanaugh, speaking Spanish in public or speaking English “with an accent” is one of the factors that can be cause for suspicion.

In this context, the California gubernatorial candidates' use of Spanish is more than just a way to reach multiple constituencies, said Jonathan Rosa, an associate professor at Stanford’s Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and author of “Looking like a Language, Sounding like a Race: Raciolinguistic Ideologies and the Learning of Latinidad.”

“In this political moment, it also has a symbolic meaning,” he said. “It suggests that a political candidate is trying to signal to different audiences that they are taking a stand in opposition to anti-immigrant perspectives … xenophobia, assimilationism and English-only sentiment.”

But in the recent past, politicians have used Spanish for different purposes, Rosa noted. During a 2016 Republican presidential debate, for instance, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz “used Spanish to test one another's credentials, to test one another's latinidad, while promoting anti-immigrant policies,” he said.

“It's important for us to not make sweeping generalizations about the meanings of this language use,” Rosa added, “and to pay attention to how those meanings take shape in context.”

To protect themselves in this political climate, some Spanish speakers — including U.S. citizens — have opted not to speak Spanish in public.

Ramirez won’t be joining them.

“At this point in time,” she said, reclaiming Spanish “is really an act of solidarity and of resistance.”

A refrigerated warehouse operated by Lineage Logistics has burned in Boyle Heights for nearly a week. Public health officials are urging residents nearby and downwind to protect themselves from the smoky air.

But what exactly is in the air is still unclear.

Authorities say they’ve cleared the most hazardous materials — ammonia and lithium-ion batteries — from the fire zone. A spokesperson for the L.A. Fire Department said foam insulation, wood pallets of food, and solar panels on top of the 500,000 square-foot building continue to smolder.

Materials including plastics, electronics and even rotting meat are likely burning, which means the pollution particles emitted “tend to be highly enriched with toxic organics, toxic metals, that are above and beyond what just normal, day-to-day air pollution would look like,” said UCLA air pollution researcher Yifang Zhu.

She said air quality indexes may capture the concentration of particulate matter in the air, but not necessarily the specific toxins in them.

“You'll have almost like a double jeopardy in a sense that the levels [of particulate matter] are higher, and the toxicity is also higher,” she said.

Measuring heavy metals or volatile organic compounds requires special monitoring equipment, Zhu said.

“It’s very difficult to measure,” she said.

But she suspects at least some types of health-harming heavy metals are likely to be in the smoke.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado on Monday called for more specifics about what is in the smoke.

People “shouldn't have to guess about what they're breathing or rely on rumors, scattered information and updates, and incomplete information,” she said at a news conference. Jurado, whose council district includes Boyle Heights, added that data from regulators, such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District, should be released in clear, understandable language in English and Spanish.

The South Coast AQMD told LAist before Jurado spoke that the agency has monitors that measure particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, but not other types of pollutants. The agency said it has set up additional monitors at Eastman Avenue Elementary and Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School. The agency added that the Environmental Protection Agency is also monitoring air quality at the fence line of the facility. LAist has reached out to the EPA for details.

Zhu added that even when the fire is eventually put out, the cleanup can kick up even more pollution — a lesson learned through her research after the L.A. fires.

“ I think people really need to take precautions,” Zhu said, emphasizing that those closest to the fire and downwind should avoid being outside as much as possible, keep windows closed, run a HEPA or MERV 13 air filter, and wear an N95 or similar mask otherwise.

UC Irvine toxicology professor Michael Kleinman said if thawed meat is also burning, that could lead to further toxic gases being released.

Experts urged precautions, especially if you smell smoke.

“ For people who are very close to the fire, like the firefighters themselves, they have exposure to both particulate matter and potential toxic gases, and that's why you'll see them wearing respirators,” said UC Irvine chemistry professor Suzanne Blum. “But once you're some feet away from the building, then the primary concern is the particulate smoke that is coming from this fire.”

As the Boyle Heights warehouse fire burns into its sixth day, SoCal residents are increasingly concerned about the air quality and potential health risks that come with breathing in the smoke. So, what alerts have been issued so far and how can residents be prepared?

Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on Saturday, a designation that helps California coordinate with local agencies to make sure there are enough resources for the firefight and residents who have been affected after a fire started at a cold storage industrial facility. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said at a press conference Monday that  the county is "delivering supplies, air filters, and air purifiers" to local households.

Los Angeles County public health officials and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) also issued a particle pollution advisory that remained in effect until today. Affected areas included: Central Los Angeles County, the San Gabriel Valley, East San Fernando Valley and Northwest San Bernardino Valley.

Although recent air quality readings appear as “moderate” to “good” on South Coast AQMD’s website, the fire is still burning and might be for a few more days.

So what can SoCal residents do to protect themselves?

If the air quality index reads “good” or “poses little to no risk” in some areas, hazardous ash can still be present. If you see ash on your car, or windowsills, you might want to stay inside if possible. In “moderate” or yellow zones, unusually sensitive people are also recommended to avoid longer periods outside.

In the next few days, some might notice windblown ash floating in the air or coating outdoor surfaces. These particles are otherwise known as “fine particulate matter,” which consists of soot, burned plastic and perhaps even traces of the spoiling frozen food from inside the warehouse.

Why that matters

Too much exposure from these materials may cause temporary irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. If you suffer from health issues that are exacerbated by poor air quality, like respiratory illnesses, you may be affected by these conditions even more.

Four expert tips to protect yourself and your family:

• If you smell smoke or see ash, try to remain indoors with the windows closed. If you can’t, consider stepping outside with an N-95 mask, and refrain from engaging in any rigorous physical activity. 
• In your homes, also avoid using whole house fans (air conditioning is okay), as they can bring in the polluted air from outdoors. 
• If you have an air purifier, this is the time to use it. 
• Avoid using fireplaces, candles and vacuums, as they can introduce toxins into the clean, indoor environment.

For more guidance on precautions following the fires, visit Los Angeles County’s public health website for more. South Coast AQMD’s website also has more healthy and safety tips.

Updated June 22, 2026 at 16:22 PM ET

Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi has broken the record for most World Cup scoring.

Messi made the record goal, his 17th, during the first half of Monday's game against Austria. It was a heated match. Austria attacked relentlessly, and Argentina relied on its defense and on goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez. And, near the end in stoppage time, Messi scored again, finishing off at 2-0.

The team captain started off the World Cup with a bang: in the opener against Algeria, Messi scored a hat trick: three goals. A rare feat in soccer. He has scored all five goals for Argentina this World Cup. With the win, Argentina advances to the knockout round.

Messi hails from the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, an area known for producing excellent players. He faced challenges at an early age: he had a hormonal growth deficiency, which was difficult to treat in his hometown, given the severe economic crisis facing Argentina in the late 1990s. By 2001, the Messi family had decided to accept an offer for him to join La Masia, FC Barcelona's youth academy, in Spain. Messi was 13 years old.

It was at Barca that he rose to fame and developed his unique style of walking the pitch, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to jump on the ball, dribble skillfully past his opponents, and score.

Argentina's Lionel Messi, now the all-time World Cup scoring leader, celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 group match against Austria.

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Although a legend of Barca and European soccer, he often expressed a desire to play for the Argentine national team in a World Cup. He got his chance in his 20's, but it wasn't smooth: he was widely seen as a foreigner who had not paid his dues in the Argentine soccer system. His measured, calculating style of play was often misunderstood in South America, where players tended to have a quicker, more aggressive technique.

There were several World Cup attempts that were disappointing, and after the 2016 World Cup, he announced he would not be playing again. "It's over," he said outside the locker room, visibly shaken. "I tried so hard, it is unbelievable, but it hasn't worked. Me and this team are through."

The tides turned under the leadership of Argentine Coach Lionel Scaloni, and Messi led the team to a Copa America victory in 2021. Argentina won the World Cup the following year.

This is Messi's sixth World Cup and he's considered one of the best players in soccer history.

Messi also surpassed Brazilian superstar Marta, who had scored 17 goals at the Women's World Cup.

Copyright 2026 NPR

More than two dozen state historic parks are free through the end of the year in honor of Juneteenth — and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the free “special edition Historian Passport,” which typically costs $50, as a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s attempts to “rewrite the past,” according to a news release by the governor’s office.

Since his inauguration, Trump has ordered staff working at all National Park Service locations to remove any content that casts Americans in a negative light from parks, monuments and memorials.

“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history — in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.

Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.

The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.

Jack London State Historic Park in Napa Valley, California.

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Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.

Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.

How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people

You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.

After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.

The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.

Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.

Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.

KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.