It's Day 22 of the federal government shutdown, and Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to end it. As the shutdown drags on, here's the latest on what we know.
Why did the federal government shut down? A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.
Read on... for more details on what the shut down means across the country.
It's Day 22 of the federal government shutdown, and Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to end it.
Without a fix, many federal employees will not be getting paid this Friday, the first full paycheck they'll miss as a result of the shutdown. By law federal workers are supposed to get back pay once the shutdown ends, but the White House has tried to cast doubt on that.
Meanwhile, President Trump has tied the shutdown to his overall goal of shrinking the size of the government, laying off workers en masse while it continues — and promising more — while specifically targeting what he calls "Democrat programs."
A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.
Prominent Republican lawmakers have claimed the Democrats are looking to provide tax dollars to help pay for the heath care of undocumented immigrants. That is not true.
Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that passed the House but did not include an extension of the health care tax credits. Democrats are also hoping to repeal cuts to health care programs that were put in place as part of the GOP spending and tax bill that passed over the summer.
NPR's Deirdre Walsh reports that some Democrats say Nov. 1 could be a key date in talks to loosen the current gridlock. That date marks the beginning of open enrollment for people getting coverage through the ACA, when most states will send notices to subscribers laying out the cost of coverage without subsidies.
In Vermont, where notices started going out on Oct. 15, for example, some families are facing increases of $25,000, according to Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Military families are already seeking additional assistance from food banks and other groups to help with paying bills.
Are government workers being laid off during the shutdown?
The Trump administration has been following through on threats tofurther slash the size of government during the shutdown, seeking to layoff roughly 4,000 workers earlier this month. Some workers are fighting back in court; the judge overseeing the case issued a temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to pause reduction in force (RIF) efforts that affect certain unionized employees.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program was estimated to run out after about two weeks. But USDA has distributed money from the previous fiscal year, helping at least some states continue to fund the program. The White House has said it will use tariff revenue to keep WIC afloat, though has provided few details. Trump's budget proposal earlier this year had looked to cut WIC funding.
Beyond WIC, the country's much larger food aid program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, previously known as food stamps) — is funded through October.
That's because the debit-like cards people use to buy food are loaded a month in advance. USDA earlier this month told state agencies to hold off paying for November benefits for lack of sufficient funding, "until further notice."
Some state agencies say they may not have the funds to reimburse schools providing free and low-cost meals.
Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association, says some agencies have told her organization they don't have the money to pay schools back for meals during the shutdown.
"There is a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to make sure that kids have access to healthy meals at school, so we are hopeful that the administration and Congress will act before this becomes an issue."
According to Pratt-Heavner, USDA released funds to regional offices for meals served in October. But some states report they have yet to receive any money, she said. Before the shutdown, USDA released a contingency plan outlining funds states could tap into to cover any gaps. A USDA spokesman did not directly answer NPR when asked if the agency would advance funding to state agencies should the shutdown persist.
A United States Postal Service (USPS) mail box stands in Manhattan on August 05, 2020 in New York City. Mail services will not be affected by the government shutdown.
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USPS is 'open for business as usual'
"U.S. Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown," according to a statement by USPS. The postal service is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.
IRS furloughs nearly half its staff
A contingency plan from the Treasury Department says that slightly more than half of the IRS' approximately 74,000 workers remain on the job and will continue to work for the foreseeable future. Some IRS employees were issued reduction in force, or RIF, notices on Friday and posted screenshots of those notices informing them of their last day, Dec. 9.
The contingency plan says nearly all of those employees who continue to work will be paid using sources other than annual appropriations, which are on hold during the shutdown. Tasks will include completing and testing systems to handle next year's tax-filing season, and maintaining computers to prevent the loss of data.
Teachers and schools won't be directly impacted, but federal education functions might
Eighty-seven percent of Department of Education employees have been temporary furloughed, as detailed in agency shutdown contingency plans.
At the same time, the administration is trying to use a new round of layoffs to gut multiple offices inside the department, including the Office for Civil Rights and the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department.
This latest reduction-in-force (RIF) cut at least 121 staffers responsible for overseeing roughly $15 billion in special education funding and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation's more than 7.5 million children with disabilities. According to multiple sources, the special education office is now left with just a handful of top executives and support staff.
In addition, many Department of Education employees who were furloughed were surprised to see a message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown inserted into their out-of-office replies. A federal workers union is suing the Trump administration for inserting the language into employees' out-of-office email messages.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2026 went live as scheduled at the start of October. As WPR's Corrinne Hess reports, the U.S. Department of Education says that student financial aid programs will continue, despite the shutdown.
Greg Freeman, a National Park Service ranger closes the entrance gate due to the government shutdown at the Everglades National Park Shark Valley on Oct. 1 in Florida. Shark Valley remains open to visitors who park outside the entrance gate and walk in, although with limited staffing.
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National Parks are a mixed bag
Across the country, the National Park Service (NPS) have brought their operations to a halt. That includes the National Zoo and other Smithsonian facilities. NPR's Alana Wise reports that the Smithsonian assured the public that animals would still be cared for during the zoo's closure. Animal cams are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.
As KQED's Sarah Wright and Carly Severn reported, a contingency plan for the NPS says that park roads, lookouts and trails "will generally remain accessible to visitors" for the duration of the shutdown, but other services such as regular road and trail condition updates would not be provided.
Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.
Salem will be open through Halloween thanks to community support
WBUR's Andrea Shea reports that local leaders in Salem, Mass., learned a National Park Service visitor center and its bathrooms would be closed during their busiest tourist season so they took action on a plan to keep them open.
Shea reports that NPS agreed to let Salem reopen the center if the community covered costs through Halloween weekend. Annie Harris — CEO of the non-profit Essex Heritage that helps staff and run the facility — sent out a flurry of emails including to the mayor. Within 48 hours businesses and non-profits raised $18,000 — keeping the center open until Nov. 2.
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits will continue
But employees at Social Security field offices earlier this month said the government shutdown has left them unable to carry out an important service for some recipients. As NPR's Ashley Lopez reports, workers say they are unable to provide benefit verification letters to people calling in to request them. These official letters act as a sort of income verification and are therefore key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance and help from nonprofits.
In an Oct. 21 email to users answering commonly asked questions about how shutdown impacts, SSA noted the online portal can still be used to access benefit verification letters.
As NPR's Scott Horsley reports some furloughed employees at the Labor Department are coming back to work, in order to complete the September inflation report, which is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year. The report will come come out on Friday, nine days late.
Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the employees in the Office of Detention Oversight, which inspects immigration detention centers, is currently not working. "We hope Democrats will open up the government swiftly so that this office can resume its work," McLaughlin said.
According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS law enforcement, including ICE agents, will be paid for work done during the shutdown.
"More than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers across DHS including those serving in CBP, ICE, Secret Service, TSA and other critical mission areas will be paid for all hours worked during the shutdown period," Noem posted on X on Thursday. "By Wednesday, October 22, law enforcement officers will receive a "super check" – which covers the 4 days lost, their overtime, and their next pay period."
The U.S. Coast Guard, which is housed within DHS, will continue to be paid, according to a post earlier this week from Noem, from funds appropriated in the reconciliation bill earlier this year.
An air traffic control tower is seen following the government shutdown at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 1 in Austin, Texas.
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If you're flying soon …
Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered "essential workers" and have to stay on the job.
Travelers across the U.S. are beginning to feel the impacts of the government shutdown, as air traffic control staffing shortages disrupt flights across the country.
The impact of the shutdown looks different in different parts of the country
Some states across the country are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of the government shutdown. Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is playing out in their region.
Here's what we know so far about how the shutdown is affecting specific communities across the country:
Alaska
The U.S. Transportation Department says it has secured funding to continue the Essential Air Service program, subsidizing routes to 65 Alaska communities and more than an additional 100 communities nationwide, through Nov. 2. [Alaska Public Media]
About 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska, one of the highest percentages of federal employees when compared with other states. President Trump's threat that federal employees could receive termination notices increases the uncertainty around how this crucial workforce to Alaska's economy could be affected. [Alaska Public Media]
Sen. Ruben Gallego said the shutdown would also not affect federal relief money to communities in the Miami-Globe area after torrential monsoon rains caused flash flooding in the region [KJZZ]
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport joined a handful of other airports across the country that have refused to display a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. [KJZZ]
In Colorado, the federal government employs thousands of workers at climate or land-management agencies. An EPA spokesperson told CPR News that the agency is operating under its shutdown plan, which would furlough thousands of employees. [Colorado Public Radio]
Unemployment claims from Colorado's federal workers are surging amid the U.S. government shutdown. Stephanie Rogers, a Colorado-based microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration, told CPR she filed for unemployment the day after the shutdown started. [Colorado Public Radio]
Connecticut
Connecticut will continue federally funded food assistance programs for state residents during the government shutdown, Gov. Ned Lamont said on Wednesday. But he said the state's reserve money for SNAP, the food assistance program for low-income families, will run out by the end of the month. [WSHU]
Connecticut has a $2.5 billion budget surplus this year — its second largest in history. Advocates are asking Lamont to consider using it to help offset the federal shortfall. [WSHU]
Georgia
For federal workers living paycheck to paycheck, one option to get through being furloughed could be filing for unemployment insurance, Georgia Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes said. The employees will have to pay the benefits back once the shutdown ends and they receive back pay, but the benefits can help them make ends meet while they are not being paid. [GPB]
If the federal government shutdown continues, the Mid-America Regional Council said it may need to temporarily close Head Start centers serving more than 2,300 Kansas City children beginning Nov. 1. [KCUR]
Kansas farmers face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed. [KCUR]
During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season. [KCUR]
For more on the impact in Kansas City, head to KCUR.
Louisiana
The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, is managed by FEMA and provides flood insurance to those who don't have a private option. It has grown in size as most homeowner's insurance policies across the U.S. have dropped flood damage entirely. It covers nearly half a million Louisianans. Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown. [WWNO/WRKF]
Three workers who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times said they haven't been furloughed, but they've dealt with uncertainties and fragmented coordination since the federal government shut down Oct. 1 on top of a year of uncertainty. [Chicago Public Media]
Maine
Even though much of the staff of Acadia National Park in Maine has been furloughed, it was a popular weekend at the park. [Maine Public]
Minnesota
Thousands of Minnesotans might not receive federal food aid benefits if the government shutdown continues into November, as federal officials have told states that funding for SNAP benefits is running out. [MPR News]
Missouri
Families enrolled in the Missouri WIC program — which provides supplemental food, nutrition education and support to low-income women and children — will not be immediately impacted by the shutdown. [St. Louis Public Radio]
The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis are temporarily closed, with National Park Service work largely on hold. [St. Louis Public Radio]
New Hampshire
There are more than 5,000 civilian federal employees in New Hampshire, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Manchester VA Medical Center, the White Mountain National Forest, the Berlin federal prison, the passport processing center at Pease and at other federal agencies. How the shutdown might affect them isn't entirely clear. [NHPR]
The White Mountain National Forest will remain open, but some say earlier staff cuts are hampering critical activities. Firefighting and disaster response activities will also continue, according to federal officials. [NHPR]
On Oct. 7, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the veteran appropriator who has helped broker past bipartisan deals, told NPR, she has been working behind the scenes with senators from both parties to "find common ground." [NPR]
For more on the impact in New Hampshire, head to NHPR.
For more on the impact in North Dakota, head to Prairie Public.
Oklahoma
With the federal government shut down, National Park rangers are not present at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Victims, family members and first responders are stepping in to educate visitors on the location's story. [KOSU]
Oregon
The federal government program used to subsidize commercial flights in Pendleton got a last-minute reprieve from grinding to a halt due to the partial government shutdown. But as of Wednesday, immediate answers on how that might affect Eastern Oregon's only commercial airport are in short supply. The municipally operated Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton holds the only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in the state, a federal program that helps rural airports operate. [OPB]
Pennsylvania
Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania-based federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown may be eligible for unemployment compensation through the state Department of Labor & Industry. [WITF]
Tennessee
On Oct. 7, the FAA notified local officials in Nashville that flights in and out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) would be reduced Tuesday afternoon due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. Nashville's airport was back to normal by Wednesday morning. [WLPN]
Texas
U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who inspect cargo at the 32 other official ports of entry are among the essential federal workers who must remain on the job unpaid. The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick. [Houston Public Media]
Utah
In Ogden, Utah, about 10 percent works for the IRS, and when federal workers stop getting paychecks, impacts are felt quickly and broadly. (KUER)
Washington
On Oct. 6, state officials say they have enough to cover WIC for the next two weeks. Seattle and King County have partnered to dedicate nearly $2 million to provide one-time vouchers to an estimated 30,000 clients in King County who rely on WIC. [KUOW]
The Employment Security Department says the 80,000 federal workers in Washington State may qualify for unemployment benefits. [OPB]
Wyoming
On Oct. 3, Gov. Mark Gordon said Wyoming will cover gaps in funding to federally funded state employees who are in the state budget "in the short-term." [Wyoming Public Media]
By Chandelis Duster and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán | NPR
Published January 11, 2026 6:34 AM
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Topline:
People have been taking to the streets nationwide this weekend to protest the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics following the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, a 37-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer this week.
Where things stand: At least 1,000 events across the U.S. were planned for Saturday and Sunday, according to Indivisible, a progressive grassroots coalition of activists helping coordinate the movement it calls "ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action."
People have been taking to the streets nationwide this weekend to protest the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics following the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, a 37-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer this week.
At least 1,000 events across the U.S. were planned for Saturday and Sunday, according to Indivisible, a progressive grassroots coalition of activists helping coordinate the movement it calls "ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action."
Leah Greenberg, a co-executive director of Indivisible, said people are coming together to "grieve, honor those we've lost, and demand accountability from a system that has operated with impunity for far too long."
"Renee Nicole Good was a wife, a mother of three, and a member of her community. She, and the dozens of other sons, daughters, friends, siblings, parents, and community members who have been killed by ICE, should be alive today," Greenberg said in a statement on Friday. "ICE's violence is not a statistic, it has names, families, and futures attached to it, and we refuse to look away or stay silent."
Large crowds of demonstrators carried signs and shouted "ICE out now!" as protests continued across Minneapolis on Saturday. One of those protestors, Cameron Kritikos, told NPR that he is worried that the presence of more ICE agents in the city could lead to more violence or another death.
"If more ICE officers are deployed to the streets, especially a place here where there's very clear public opposition to the terrorizing of our neighborhoods, I'm nervous that there's going to be more violence," the 31-year grocery store worker said. "I'm nervous that there are going to be more clashes with law enforcement officials, and at the end of the day I think that's not what anyone wants."
Demonstrators in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.
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The night before, hundreds of city and state police officers responded to a "noise protest" in downtown Minneapolis. An estimated 1,000 people gathered Friday night, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, and 29 people were arrested.
People demonstrated outside of hotels where ICE agents were believed to be staying. They chanted, played drums and banged pots. O'Hara said that a group of people split from the main protest and began damaging hotel windows. One police officer was injured from a chunk of ice that was hurled at officers, he added.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the acts of violence but praised what he said was the "vast majority" of protesters who remained peaceful, during a morning news conference.
"To anyone who causes property damage or puts others in danger: you will be arrested. We are standing up to Donald Trump's chaos not with our own brand of chaos, but with care and unity," Frey wrote on social media.
Commenting on the protests, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told NPR in a statement, "the First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly — not rioting, assault and destruction," adding, "DHS is taking measures to uphold the rule of law and protect public safety and our officers."
In Philadelphia, police estimated about 500 demonstrators "were cooperative and peaceful" at a march that began Saturday morning at City Hall, Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson Tanya Little told NPR in a statement. And no arrests were made.
In Portland, Ore., demonstrators rallied and lined the streets outside of a hospital on Saturday afternoon, where immigration enforcement agents bring detainees who are injured during an arrest, reported Oregon Public Broadcasting.
A man and woman were shot and injured by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Thursday in the city. DHS said the shooting happened during a targeted vehicle stop and identified the driver as Luis David Nino-Moncada, and the passenger as Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, both from Venezuela. As was the case in their assertion about Good's fatal shooting, Homeland Security officials claimed the federal agent acted in self-defense after Nino-Moncada and Zambrano-Contreras "weaponized their vehicle."
Copyright 2026 NPR
Bob Weir, the guitarist and songwriter who was a founding member of the popular and massively influential American rock band the Grateful Dead, has died.
Details: According to a statement from his family posted on his website and social media pages, Weir died from underlying lung issues after recently beating cancer. He was 78.
Read on... to revisit the life of Weir.
Bob Weir, the guitarist and songwriter who was a founding member of the popular and massively influential American rock band the Grateful Dead, has died. According to a statement from his family posted on his website and social media pages, Weir died from underlying lung issues after recently beating cancer. He was 78.
A member of the Dead for its first three decades, and a keeper of the flame of the band's legacy for three more, Weir helped to write a new chapter of American popular music that influenced countless other musicians and brought together an enormous and loyal audience. The Grateful Dead's touring, bootlegging and merchandising set an example that helped initiate the jam-band scene. Its concerts created a community that brought together generations of followers.
Known to fans as "Bobby," he was born in San Francisco as Robert Hall Parber, but was given up for adoption and raised by Frederick and Eleanor Weir. In 1964, when he was still a teenager, Weir joined guitarist Jerry Garcia in a folk music band, Mother Mcree's Uptown Jug Band. In May of 1965 Weir and Garcia were joined by bassist Phil Lesh, keyboard player Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and drummer Bill Kreutzmann to form an electric, blues-based rock and roll band that was briefly named The Warlocks. After discovering that there was another band using that name, Jerry Garcia found a phrase that caught his eye in a dictionary and in December of that year they became the Grateful Dead, launching a 30-year run over which time they grew into a cultural institution.
Weir was a singular rhythm guitarist who rarely played solos, choosing instead to create his own particular style of chording and strumming that gracefully supported Garcia's distinctive guitar explorations especially during the extended jams which were the heart of the band's popularity.
Lyrics were largely a product of a communal effort between Weir and Garcia, as well as lyricists John Perry Barlow, Robert Hunter, that often blurred the lines between who wrote what. The opening lines to "Cassidy," which first appeared on Weir's 1972 solo album Ace and was played by the Dead on live recordings including the 1981 double album Reckoning, reflect the combination of metaphor, rhyme and storytelling set to memorable melodies that the band's audiences could memorize, analyze and sing along to:
I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream Ah, child of countless trees Ah, child of boundless seas What you are, what you're meant to be Speaks his name, though you were born to me Born to me, Cassidy
Weir's emotive singing, on "Cassidy" and other songs like "Sugar Magnolia," "One More Saturday Night" and the band's unofficial theme, "Truckin', " often included whoops and yells, in contrast to Garcia's calm and steady approach. His occasional tendency to forget lyrics was usually greeted by thunderous applause from fans.
After Garcia's death in 1995, at age 53, the surviving members of the band carried on in various forms and arrangements, the longest running of which was Weir's Dead & Company, which also featured Grateful Dead drummers Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart. Weir and the band concluded their "final tour" in July of 2023, but then returned to the stage for two extended residencies at the Sphere in Las Vegas, in 2024 and 2025.
A self-described "compulsive music maker," in 2018 Weir formed yet another band to mine the depths of the Grateful Dead catalog. It was a stripped-down guitar, acoustic bass and drums outfit that he called Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. Its members included renowned bassist and producer Don Was.In October of 2022, Weir & Wolf Bros worked with a classical music arranger to present yet another iteration of the Dead's catalog, notable for never being played the same way twice, with a group that largely only plays what's written on the paper in front of them, the 80-piece National Symphony Orchestra.
In a 2022 interview with NPR, Weir explained the reason for that collaboration, and in doing so, seemed to offer a possible explanation for why the band's music stayed so popular for so long: "These songs are … living critters and they're visitors from another world — another dimension or whatever you want to call it — that come through the artists to visit this world, have a look around, tell their stories. I don't know exactly how that works, but I do know that it's real."
After Jerry Garcia's death in 1995, Weir kept the legacy of the Grateful Dead alive, touring with bands that came to include generations of musicians influenced by the group. Here, Weir performs with The Dead at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2009.
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Weir's work to shepherd and sustain the Dead's legacy was rewarded by ever younger generations of Deadheads, the band's loyal following, who attended tour after tour, often following the band from city to city as their parents and grandparents did during in the 1960's, '70s, '80s and '90s.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in March 2025, Weir shared his thoughts on his legacy, as well as on death and dying, that had a hint of the Eastern philosophies that were popular when the Grateful Dead emerged from the peace and love hippie movement of San Francisco. "I'll say this: I look forward to dying. I tend to think of death as a reward for a life well-lived," he said.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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James Rappaport is looking for a new location for his store, Planet Books, which is being forced to vacate a warehouse in Signal Hill.
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Planet Books, a long-running outpost known for its boundless collection of used books, toys, posters and other antiquities, must move — once again — by March or risk closure.
Why now: After 27 years in business, owner James Rappaport said the news came last fall from the proprietors of the neighboring Antique Mall II, which, since 2020, has sublet to him a 4,000-square-foot warehouse now cramped with rare tomes and second-hand memorabilia.
Read on ... to learn more about the history of this Long Beach institution.
Planet Books, a long-running outpost known for its boundless collection of used books, toys, posters and other antiquities, must move — once again — by March or risk closure.
After 27 years in business, owner James Rappaport said the news came last fall from the proprietors of the neighboring Antique Mall II, which, since 2020, has sublet to him a 4,000-square-foot warehouse now cramped with rare tomes and second-hand memorabilia.
Andrew Jurkiewicz, who owns Antique Mall II alongside his partner, Linda, confirmed the move in a phone call Monday. They’re selling their own store, a decision that ran simultaneously to their landlord’s decision to sell the property altogether.
One person familiar with the sale said the listing — which opened in October — has drawn several interested buyers and is expected to enter escrow in the next week. A public record search found the properties, at 1851 to 1855 Freeman Ave., are owned by DPV Properties LLC, which recently moved its address from Seal Beach to out of state.
When reached by phone, one of the owners declined to comment on their reason for the sale.
After their leases end in March, the businesses are expected to vacate. The antique shop, Jurkiewicz said, will relocate to a space at 3588 Palo Verde Ave. — formerly a Joann Fabric and Crafts — under new ownership.
“We’re both tired,” he said of running the 37-year business that he moved into a former plywood business on Freeman Avenue in 2010.
The future of Planet Books, meanwhile, is far more uncertain. Rappaport has been quiet about his plight until now, insisting he didn’t want to “sound any alarms” that might disrupt the flow of business or scare his regulars.
“I don’t want to panic anybody, especially myself. Not really sure what to do, actually,” Rappaport said.
This marks the second time the bookstore has needed to vacate its location since it opened in 1998.
Its first incarnation on East Anaheim Street was a combination of a couple of hundred book crates left behind by San Pedro bookseller Vinegar Hill Books and collectible toys acquired by the store’s former owner, Michael Munns.
Monthly rent at that time was about $2,000 for 1,500-square feet. Today, Rappaport said, the building costs $5,200 a month to rent, with half of it currently vacant.
His search for a new space has spanned the city, even traveling into neighboring Seal Beach, each time running into the same story.
“Twice the money and one third the size,” he said.
It’s also difficult to find something to fit their needs. The current store has a bookstock of easily more than 100,000 titles.
There’s also the trove of toys, postcards, movie posters and other antiquities that line the walls, counters and shelves throughout. In the back area — the workers call it the “nether world” — towering stacks of books form trench lines leading to an aging work computer, limited-edition prints and a bathroom which hasn’t worked properly since they moved there.
Any storefront they find will likely require a “major purge” of inventory, Rappaport said. Planet Books has two music sections and three sections for both science fiction and mystery. He plans to downsize through donations to nearby schools, shelters and prisons.
If the store cannot find a new home, Rappaport said he’ll have to move his inventory into storage, likely at a facility in Stanton.
There’s also the definite possibility the store closes, he said, though workers are more optimistic.
For many, Planet Books has become the bookstore’s bookstore — the book hog’s mud puddle — where the clerks know the difference between Tom Wolfe and Thomas Wolfe and where patrons might lose themselves for the day among cheap out-of-print treasures on Zen and macrobiotics, Armenian dictionaries, Cantonese cookbooks and volumes on Lydia Maria Child, a 19th century abolitionist.
Wherever the store lands, Rappaport said it will be his last move.
“I’m 68, getting old, you know, I don’t need this,” he said. “I can’t retire because I don’t make anything in Social Security. I just want to have a little bit of fun.”
Robert Garrova
explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.
Published January 11, 2026 5:00 AM
Made by DWC Cafe's LaShornda (L) and Cafe manager Mimi Tedla (R).
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Robert Garrova
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LAist
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Topline:
The Downtown Women's Center's cafe has been steadily serving the Skid Row community for over a decade, giving women transitioning out of homelessness job training and steady employment.
The backstory: The Downtown Women’s Center serves about 5,000 people annually with things like permanent supportive housing and job training at their cafe, which the center started about 15 years ago.
Candles and more: The cafe typically trains dozens of workers a year. And while you’re grabbing a cup of coffee, you might notice some handmade candles on the shelves. Under the brand Made by DWC, a team of trainees make those just a few blocks away, along with bath salts and other scented goods.
Read on ... to learn more about the cafe and how to visit.
There are very few options to grab a cup of coffee and sit for a bit in downtown L.A.’s Skid Row. That’s in stark contrast to some of the bougie areas of downtown, where you can throw a rock and hit a four-dollar-a-cup coffee place.
But there’s one cafe that’s steadily served the Skid Row community for over a decade.
Walking into Made by Downtown Women’s Center Cafe and Boutique feels like walking into any non-chain coffee shop you might have come across downtown. There are smiling baristas, tables to work at and a glass case filled with pastries from Homeboy Industries.
But this coffee shop is different: it’s staffed and run by women who are transitioning from homelessness
Women like LaShornda. She’s worked here for about four years after the Downtown Women’s Center provided her with supportive housing. Now she lives independently with her kids. We’re not using LaShornda’s full name because she has concerns about her safety.
“We always get second chances. And it was a struggle,” she said, recalling her journey from being unhoused, to getting full-time work and housing and, recently, a promotion.
Now LaShornda works to train other women at the cafe, providing many with their first job after fighting to survive on the streets for years.
“I love it here... I love to see some of the women that come in here every day and I know [their] drinks,” LaShornda said.
The Downtown Women’s Center serves about 5,000 people annually with things like permanent supportive housing and job training at their cafe. The center started the cafe about 15 years ago.
“It’s not your normal image of providing services for people experiencing homelessness,” Amy Turk, Downtown Women’s Center’s CEO, said during a visit to the cafe. “Twenty-three thousand women are experiencing homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles. And primarily the reasons stem from gender-based violence, domestic violence and incomes that have never been on par with men."
Aprons hang on the wall at the Made by DWC candle-making studio.
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Robert Garrova
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LAist
)
About five years ago — after moving from Texas and getting stranded without work during the height of the pandemic — Alexandria Piñeda found herself unhoused on Skid Row. That was before she got linked up with DWC.
“The Skid Row community was so good to me,” Piñeda said. “You know, they really looked out for me. And it’s nice for them to have something nice. For them to be able to escape the madness on the street.”
The cafe typically trains dozens of workers a year. And while you’re grabbing a cup of coffee, you might notice some handmade candles on the shelves, with scents like Halfmoon BAE and Joshua TEA. Under the brand Made by DWC, Piñeda and her team of trainees make those just a few blocks away, along with bath salts and other scented goods.
Alexandria Piñeda in her office at the Made by DWC studio in Downtown L.A.
(
Robert Garrova
/
LAist
)
“A lot of them are stuck in survival mode because they’re straight off the street when they come to us,” she said. “But they’re with me for four months. So I kind of have the opportunity to train them out of that... It completely changes their life and I get to witness that. All the time.”
She said that’s the best part of the job.
How to visit:
MADE by DWC Cafe 438 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles Hours: Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The monthly Sip & Shop takes place on the last Friday of each month. This month’s event will be held on Jan. 30 at the resale boutique:
