By Rachel Becker, Kristen Hwang, Alejandro Lazo, Cayla Mihalovich and Jeanne Kuang | CalMatters
Published September 29, 2025 10:30 AM
The sun sets behind Joshua trees and mountains at Joshua Tree National Park.
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Tayfun Coskun
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Anadolu via Getty Images
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Topline:
Social Security and Medicare benefits will keep flowing in a government shutdown, but federal employees will be working without pay and delays likely will occur across many services.
Why it matters: About 150,000 federal employees work in California, not counting the military service members who also will go without pay during a shutdown. In the past when facing possible federal shutdowns, the state had a contingency plan to try to avoid disruptions in certain services. In late 2023, it planned to pay one month’s worth of federal food assistance early to advance aid to families in the event of a shutdown. But this year there’s no such commitment yet from the Department of Finance, as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration weighs the possibility of a lengthy shutdown.
What it looks like now: As of now, the parties appear far apart, although President Donald Trump and congressional leaders are expected to meet today. Democratic leaders in Congress are demanding that Republicans reverse Medicaid cuts made in Trump’s signature tax and spending bill earlier this year and extend Biden-era subsidies used by a majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees.
Read on... what this means for Social Security, healthcare, airports and disasters.
John Lauretig remembers the filthy bathrooms, the overflowing trash cans and the community of people who rallied to clean up Joshua Tree National Park the last time the U.S. government shut down.
Unsupervised, visitors drove through wilderness and historic sites, camped where they weren’t supposed to, and vandalized plants and buildings at parks across California. The trash — and the feces — piled up. In the days after the shutdown ended, park staff found at least 1,665 clumps of toilet paper littering Death Valley alone, where an estimated half-ton of human waste had been left outside the restrooms.
“It was insane to leave the gates open and tell the staff not to show up in the park — for our public lands, and all of our special places in this country, to be unprotected,” said Lauretig, a retired law enforcement park ranger and president of the Friends of Joshua Tree nonprofit.
Now, facing the prospect of another imminent shutdown, conservation groups and retired park service employees including Lauretig are calling to keep the gates locked at national parks and historic landmarks.
They’re among many Californians bracing for the shutdown, which is expected to begin Wednesday unless Democrats and Republicans can make a deal by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
As of now, the parties appear far apart, although President Donald Trump and congressional leaders are expected to meet today. Democratic leaders in Congress are demanding that Republicans reverse Medicaid cuts made in Trump’s signature tax and spending bill earlier this year and extend Biden-era subsidies used by a majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees.
In response, the Trump administration has floated firing federal workers en masse if the shutdown occurs.
“Democrats are hoping to use the one bit of leverage that they have left in Washington at this time to make it clear what they stand for,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego. “And the question is: Can they hold out against the political and policy pain that Donald Trump is hoping to impose by threatening more layoffs of government employees?”
The federal government shut down three times during the Obama and Trump presidencies. Each one presents a hardship for government employees, who are either furloughed or obliged to work without pay.
In the past when facing possible federal shutdowns, the state had a contingency plan to try to avoid disruptions in certain services. In late 2023, it planned to pay one month’s worth of federal food assistance early to advance aid to families in the event of a shutdown.
But this year there’s no such commitment yet from the Department of Finance, as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration weighs the possibility of a lengthy shutdown.
“There isn’t an open-ended long-term line of credit where the state’s general fund can be assumed to make up for any federal fund shortfall,” finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer said.
Here’s a look at what Californians can expect to happen if a shutdown occurs this week.
Social Security and health care
Most Californians shouldn’t worry about a federal shutdown impacting their Social Security benefits or their health care access in the near term.
About 6.5 million Californians receive benefits through the Social Security Administration and those checks are expected to continue going out during a shutdown.
But, customer service could suffer depending on how many employees are told to stay home, according to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare.
That includes “benefit verifications, earnings record corrections and updates, overpayments processing, and replacing Medicare cards. The level of disruption will depend on how many (Social Security Administration) employees the Trump administration deems ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ during the shutdown,” Max Richtman, the organization’s president, said in a written statement.
Medicaid and Medicare, which pay for health care for low-income individuals, people with disabilities and seniors, are mandatory programs that are exempt from the annual appropriations process.
Jan Emerson-Shea, spokesperson for the California Hospital Association, said “essential services” like insurance payments to hospitals and doctors will continue.
Some discretionary programs, however, like food stamps and benefits for women, infants and children may be impacted by a shutdown.
One group that could be disproportionately affected by even a brief federal shutdown are native and indigenous populations. Many of the 723,000 American Indians living in California get health care at clinics that are funded through federal grants. The clinics are often small and may have very little reserves to weather a funding pause, said Nanette Star, policy director for the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health.
“Even a short shutdown can mean staff furloughs, service cuts, patient service delays,” Star said.
Airports and travel
You’ll be able to fly and take rides during a government shutdown, but you might experience more delays.
That’s because air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents are among the government employees who would be expected to show up for work without getting paid. The longer a shutdown drags out, the more likely it is that the system will strain and workers will call in sick.
The U.S. Travel Association, which advocates for the industry, released a statement last week that included a survey showing many people would cancel or postpone travel during a shutdown, which it argued would ripple through the economy.
“A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion every week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while placing unnecessary strain on an already overextended federal travel workforce,” said Geoff Freeman, the organization’s president.
Wildfires and disasters
A federal shutdown won’t ground firefighters, but could slow the money that pays for future disaster prep.
Nick Schuler, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said the agency does not expect a shutdown to affect its “ability to respond to and aggressively attack fires” and will continue to operate as normal. In past shutdowns, he said, U.S. Forest Service firefighters have still been available for emergency response and pointed to California’s “robust Master Mutual Aid System,” which ensures resources respond regardless of jurisdiction.
Delta Fire, Sept. 5, 2018.
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U.S. Forest Service
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Still, he cautioned that what keeps engines running today might not pay for the prevention work of tomorrow: “Any disruption to grant funding that supports fire prevention and wildfire resiliency could have negative impacts,” he said.
Newsom’s office said the Federal Emergency Management Agency would keep “core life-saving operations” going during a shutdown but that payments to states would stall and recovery efforts would be put on hold. That means Californians could see first responders in action but face delays in reimbursement or recovery projects.
Other science agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey could face interruptions that affect California’s disaster readiness, the governor’s spokesperson said.
National parks
National parks supporters are worried that the Trump administration again would send home workers but leave open the gates.
That’s “a recipe for even more disaster,” said Kate Groetzinger, communications manager at the Center for Western Priorities, an environmental advocacy group. “It will be worse this time than it was last time around, simply because the parks are already struggling.”
She was referring to federal staffing cuts the Trump administration carried out earlier this year. The National Parks Conservation Association estimates that the National Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent staff since Trump’s second term began, and left thousands of seasonal positions unfilled.
If a shutdown does occur, the association projects daily losses of $1 million in fee revenue for the parks, and $77 million for the gateway communities that surround them.
Morale among National Park workers is bad already — and a shutdown would make it worse, said Bernadette Johnson, a former superintendent of Manzanar National Historic Site, where during World War II the U.S. Government incarcerated thousands of Japanese Americans.
“The attack has just been so furious. And I think that federal employees are being demonized, as these lazy bureaucrats that we are not … It breaks my heart to watch,” Johnson said. “The people left behind are holding all of that work now, because the work didn't go away.”
A spokesperson for the The National Park Service said the agency is reviewing and updating plans for a lapse in funding.
However a shutdown may play out, Lauretig over at Joshua Tree said he’s ready.
“I still have a loft (full) of toilet paper, trash bags, bleach, cleaning materials, gloves waiting for the next event — which, you know, could be imminent.”
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn whether they’re at school or visiting the library.
Published July 10, 2026 5:15 PM
Matthew Reinhart, left, and Daniel González, right, created “Luceros y Penumbras,” a pop-up book seeking to break the world record for size.
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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Topline:
A pop-up book that’s seeking to break the world record for size has unfolded at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.
The backstory: Luceros y Penumbras, which roughly translates to “starlight and shadows,” is part of the Central Library’s centennial celebration. The towering tome is rooted in L.A. artist Daniel González’s experience visiting the library and his family in Mexico as a child. “It's a knowledge tree that's been shaped by all these different things that I've learned at the library, about myself, about the city I grew up in [and] about the town where my family's from,” González said.
How it was made: González sketched the images, carved them into linoleum, printed them with ink and then digitized them to add color and other details. Matthew Reinhart, a paper engineer, author and illustrator, designed the three-dimensional build. “ My job is really making mistakes,” Reinhart said. “Making mistakes, figuring out where they are and solving them and— of course— making them look good.”
The stats: Luceros y Penumbras is four pages that open to create two scenes— one of the Central Library building and another of a sprawling tree. The book is 31 feet wide, more than 11 feet tall, and weighs 1,800 pounds.
How to visit: The pop-up book is on display in the rotunda from Saturday through mid-November during the Central Library’s regular hours.
Read on ... to learn more about what it took to create this 1,800-pound pop-up book.
A pop-up book that’s seeking to break the world record for size has unfolded at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.
The art piece is 31 feet wide, more than 11 feet tall, and weighs in at 1,800 pounds.
Luceros y Penumbras, which roughly translates to “starlight and shadows,” is rooted in L.A. artist Daniel González’s experience visiting the library and his family in Mexico as a child.
“It's a knowledge tree that's been shaped by all these different things that I've learned at the library, about myself, about the city I grew up in, [and] about the town where my family's from,” González said.
The nonprofit Library Foundation of Los Angeles collaborated with the library to commission the piece as part of the Central Library’s centennial celebration.
The project is inspired, in part, by the library’s Toy Movable collection, an archive of more than 2,000 pop-up books.
“Normal pop-up books … they seem so simple, but something amazing pops out when you open the page,” said Todd Lerew, the foundation’s director of special projects. “That sort of childlike wonder that you feel that's persistent, even as an adult, is something that was really important to capture and dial up to 11 with this project.”
The origin of 'Luceros'
The foundation asked González in June 2025 to create a book that told the story of his personal relationship with the library. As González pondered questions including ”What did the library do for me as a young person?" and "Why was I so attracted to it?" he thought about how knowledge was passed down in his family through the generations.
His grandmother told him stories about the stars above her farm near Teúl, Zacatecas, in Mexico. She said those that emerged at dawn — luceros — were among the most special because they signaled the start of a new day.
“ I looked at those stars … and the histories that my grandparents were sharing with me as these guiding lights,” González said. “Just like the library is a guiding light for many people.”
Daniel González's maternal grandmother, Isabel Gómez, told him stories about the creatures that lived near her farm, including owls, that could teach healing.
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Courtesy Daniel González
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González grew up blocks away from the Benjamin Franklin Library in Boyle Heights.
“ I spent summers there because it was literally the coolest place to be,” González said. “It just gave me the opportunity to explore anything that I had an interest in.”
Daniel González, as a child, after an unsuccessful attempt to make a kite after a trip to the library. "My dad's like, 'I'm gonna take a picture of you so you can see what you look like when you get grumpy,'" he said.
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Courtesy Daniel González
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Later, he’d visit the Central Library during a middle school field trip and return on the bus to wander the stacks and ask the staff questions.
“ I'm really lucky that I met the people that nurtured that curiosity,” González said.
From sketches to ‘paper engineering’
First, González sketched the images, carved them into linoleum, printed them with ink and digitized them to add color and other details.
A few of Daniel González's tools. In the future, he plans to sell prints related to "Luceros y Penumbras."
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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Matthew Reinhart, children’s book author, illustrator and “paper engineer,” was tasked with translating the images into three dimensions.
“ My job is really making mistakes,” Reinhart said. “Making mistakes, figuring out where they are and solving them and — of course — making them look good.”
The construction and the fabrication of the book took the work of more than 30 people over a series of months. At least a dozen people using giant poles capped with cushions turn the pages.
Fast facts about Luceros y Penumbras
Dimensions: 31 feet wide, more than 11 feet tall, and Weight: More than 1,800 pounds Materials: paper, corrugated cardboard and fabric Artist:Daniel González Paper engineer:Matthew Reinhart Fabricated by:Goodnight & Co.
Luceros y Penumbras is four pages that open to create two scenes — one of the Central Library building and another of a sprawling tree with an I Spy-like collection of creatures and images throughout. The featured pages will change throughout the exhibition, which is open until mid-November.
There are at least a dozen different symbols throughout “Luceros y Penumbras."
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Mariana Dale
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LAist
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The sea turtle at the base of the tree is a reference both to the creatures that live in the San Gabriel River and to the original inhabitants of the L.A. basin. The Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe tells a story that connects the region’s earthquakes to the turtles.
“When we think of sea turtles, we think of these faraway places where they live, like tropical places,” González said. “But they exist here and they've had to adapt to a changing climate, a changing environment, and find places to call home, just as people do.”
Other images include:
A star resting in an outstretched hand in honor of Octavia E. Butler, the science fiction writer who also spent time in the library.
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent Aztec deity and a frequent motif in East L.A.’s murals.
An owl, a symbol of knowledge associated with the Greek goddess Athena and the Roman goddess Minerva.
González said the goal is for viewers to create their own narrative about what they see.
“ I just hope that people carry with them a sense of curiosity to further explore the things that I present, but also maybe something within them,” González said.
Visit the pop-up book
Central Library Centennial Festival
See Luceros y Penumbras — and visit LAist — at the celebration of the library’s 100th birthday. When: Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost: Free Address:630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles More information, including parking, here.
On display
When: Saturday through mid-November Address: Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. Los Angeles Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday Parking: Validated rate available during library hours at 524 S. Flower St., more information
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published July 10, 2026 4:33 PM
The Summit Fire is burning in a part of the Antelope Valley that is dotted with Joshua trees and other desert plants.
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CalFire
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Topline:
Multiple evacuation orders are in place for residents near a fast-growing fire in the Antelope Valley and the Angeles National Forest, near the L.A. County and San Bernardino County line.
What we know so far: The fire is burning in a remote area but appears to be moving southward, toward the foothills below Wrightwood.
Read on ... for more on evacuations.
This is a developing story. LAist staffers are monitoring the fire but are not regularly updating this page Friday evening. Expect an update Saturday. For the most up-to-date information about the fire, you can check:
Multiple evacuation orders were in place Friday for residents near a fast-growing fire in the Antelope Valley and the Angeles National Forest, near the L.A. County and San Bernardino County line.
As of Friday afternoon, the Summit Fire had burned more than 1,600 acres since it sparked earlier in the day and was moving south toward the foothills below Wrightwood. Smoke may be visible from around L.A.
The evacuation orders cover areas south of State Road 138 and north of Big Pines Highway between Largo Vista Road and the western border of Piñon Hills. Warnings are in effect for areas south of Big Pines Highway and north of Antelope Highway, including for popular ski destination Mountain High Resort.
An evacuation shelter has been opened at the Antelope Valley YMCA in Lancaster. Small pets are allowed in the evacuation shelter. Small animals can also be taken to the Los Angeles County Animal Care Center in Palmdale.
An Aerial Quick Strike of military C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) airtankers was activated yesterday in Southern California. Today, they’re supporting the #SummitFire in Los Angeles County, adding surge capacity to ongoing wildfire suppression efforts. pic.twitter.com/TVBoWRRpJh
— USFS Fire and Aviation-Southern California (@SoCalUSFS_Fire) July 10, 2026
L.A. County and Angeles National Forest fire crews are working to contain the blaze. Authorities said structures are threatened, but they have yet to specify the type of structures or how many. Several aircraft are involved in the firefight.
The L.A. County Fire Department responded to the reports of the brush fire at 12:49 p.m.
The basics
Acreage: 1,600 acres as of 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Containment: 0%
Structures destroyed: None reported (though authorities said structures are threatened).
Deaths: None reported.
Injuries: None reported.
Evacuation map and orders
Evacuation orders have been issued for the following areas:
South of State Road 138 and north of Big Pines Highway between Largo Vista Road and the western border of Piñon Hills.
The Summit Fire was first reported early Friday afternoon near Llano in the Antelope Valley. It is burning near the L.A. County and San Bernardino County line. It grew rapidly throughout the afternoon. Weather conditions are expected to stay warm with gusty winds for the rest of the day and into the night.
The area where the Summit Fire began is sparsely populated.
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CalFire
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Manny Valladares
is always looking for the next tasty bite to feature on "AirTalk" Food Friday on LAist 89.3.
Published July 10, 2026 4:07 PM
Pawn Shop's pickle-brined fried chicken and a glass of beer.
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Shelby Moore
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Top line:
You won't find resale items at the Pawn Shop in Hollywood. You'll find TVs, menu items like pickle-brined fried chicken and caviar and a James Beard chef. The new sports bar opened at the end June.
Why the name Pawn Shop? The building was formerly home to Brothers Collateral Pawn Shop and was redeveloped into a sports bar/restaurant after it closed in 2019.
About the chef: Tony Messina is a James Beard award-winning chef who grew up in Boston and moved to Los Angeles in 2021.
You won't find resale items at the Pawn Shop in Hollywood. Instead you'll find TVs, menu items like pickle-brined fried chicken and caviar and a James Beard chef.
The new sports bar, which opened at the end of June, got its name from the long-running pawn shop which used to be at the location.
Chef Tony Messina, along with fellow Pawn Shop partner Diego Torres-Palma, sat down with Austin Cross, who hosts AirTalk every Friday, to explain what makes their new establishment stand out.
Chef Tony Messina (left) and business partner Diego Torres-Palma.
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Shelby Moore
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About the food
Tony Messina began his culinary journey in Boston, starting as a caterer and cook at age 14. Since then, he's received multiple James Beard award nominations, and the organization recognized him in 2019 as the best chef in the Northeast. He made his way to Los Angeles in 2021.
With the beer flowing and multiple flat-screen TVs, you could assume it to be a standard sports bar. However, Messina elevated the menu, blending his fine-dining experience with his New England roots.
"You can come to a fun night with the family or a date night even," Messina said. "Be all-encompassing with the restaurant aspect, as opposed to just being pub grub."
Messina says to have to ultimate experience in the space, you should sit at their bar or booths that have a good view of of the games on TV. If you want a more premium experience, you could reserve a private suite to watch games with friends and family.
As for food, he says to prioritize their small plates and shareables (like their New England-Polynesian Pu Pu Platter) and get a main dish if you're still hungry.
Restaurant details
Interior of Pawn Shop
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Shelby Moore
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The building was originally home to Brothers Collateral Pawn Shop, which closed in 2019 after 40 years.
One of its partners, Diego Torres-Palma, also helped develop Benny Boy Brewing through his real estate-investment firm, Ventana Ventures.
Investors include Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman and Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban.
Menu items we tried
Pawn shop's Pan con Tomate
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Shelby Moore
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Pan con Tomate (smoked tomato, boquerones, urfa, toasted bread)
Fried chicken (pickle-brined)
Italian sandwich (capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, salami, schiacciata bread)
How to visit
Address: 5901 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
Hours: Monday–Wednesday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday–Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Pan con Tomate costs $18; an 8-piece bucket of Fried Chicken costs $68, while a 16-piece bucket costs $110; an Italian sub costs $22.
What should we try next?
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Fill out the form below, and please include an email address so we're able to follow up if necessary! We're not able to respond to every inquiry, but all submissions are read and reviewed by our production team.
Lucas Brady Woods
covers the weather and disasters, among other climate and science topics.
Published July 10, 2026 3:51 PM
Watch for rip currents and big waves if you're headed to the beach this weekend.
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Kevin Carter
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Getty Images
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Topline:
There’s a high risk of rip currents at Southern California’s beaches this weekend, and thunderstorms are possible throughout L.A. County.
Tides: High surf and elevated tides are to blame for the chance of dangerous rip currents and big waves. Forecasters say the highest risk will be on south-facing beaches across L.A., Orange and Ventura counties. Waves will run farther up beaches during high tide and could cause minor coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas such as boardwalks and parking lots.
Thunderstorms: L.A. County and areas to the north have a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms starting Sunday. That’s due to an increase of monsoonal moisture and humidity entering the region. The chance of thunderstorms comes with the potential for lightning and the risk of lighting-sparked fires. The risk will be highest Saturday night and Sunday before more moisture, and possible precipitation, materializes at the start of the week.
Stay safe: If you’re headed to the beach to escape the heat, watch for hazardous rip tides and waves. Stay near occupied lifeguard stands and follow their advice about ocean conditions. Also look for warning flags and signs. Forecasters say it’s a good idea to avoid turning your back to the ocean and to stay off rock jetties. As for thunderstorms, forecasters say to take shelter in a fully enclosed building or a car with a metal roof if you’re caught in a storm.
