The Brief

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off at their second Super Bowl in three years on Sunday.

There's a lot on the line: the Chiefs could become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, while the Eagles hope to redeem themselves after a nail-biting loss in 2023.

Even non-football fans will have plenty to look forward to, from star-studded commercials to a halftime show headlined by Kendrick Lamar, fresh off his latest Grammy wins.

How can you watch, and what should you be watching for? Here's what to know about Super Bowl 59.

Where and when

Super Bowl 59 will kick off at 6:30 p.m. EST at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the home of the New Orleans Saints.

The city last hosted Super Bowl 47 in 2013, which saw the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers — plus a halftime show by Beyoncé and a brief power outage that together broke the internet.

You can tune in earlier on Sunday for pregame coverage from ESPN and Fox Sports. Plus, Team Ruff and Team Fluff will face off in the always-adorable Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet starting at 2 p.m. EST.

The Chiefs and Eagles logos are displayed at the Caesars Superdome on Monday.

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How to watch

The game will air live on Fox Sports. Viewers can also watch it on the NFL app and the Fox-owned streaming platform Tubi.

It will also be available to stream through Fubo, DirecTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

Telemundo and Fox Deportes will broadcast the game in Spanish, as will Kansas City-based broadcast company Tico Sports.

Who's playing: the Chiefs

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate after winning the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 26.

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This is the Kansas City Chiefs' fifth Super Bowl in the last six years, and the team's third in a row.

They most recently beat the 49ers in 2024 and the Eagles in 2023 — which means they're one win away from a historic three-peat (though even if they do it, that phrase isn't likely to be slapped on any Chiefs merchandise).

"If they win, this is like Michael Jordan, 1990s Chicago Bulls-type stuff — history that we will all look back on as one of the greatest runs of any sport ever, if they can get it done," says NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan.

As member station KCUR explains, the Chiefs' path to this Super Bowl was a lot smoother than last year's: They won 15 of 17 regular-season games before clinching the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills.

All along, they have gotten a huge boost from legendary quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is "great all the time," Sullivan says, "but what is wild about him is that all the statistics show he's better when the pressure is the highest."

"In must-have moments — third downs, fourth downs, end-of-game scenarios, game-winning, game-time drives — it's incredibly hard to stop him … and that's what I think it's going to come down to," she adds.

Who's playing: the Eagles

Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 26.

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The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots to win their first — and so far only — Super Bowl in 2018.

They made it back to the Super Bowl in 2023 but lost to the Chiefs after they came from behind in the fourth quarter to win 38-35 with just seconds on the clock.

This time around, with 14 regular-season wins — and a blowout victory at the NFC Championship Game — under their belt, the Eagles have another shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy.

They have the motivation, a (controversial) signature play known as "the tush push," and quite a roster.

"I think Philadelphia, pound for pound, is probably a more talented team than the Chiefs, maybe the best overall roster in the NFL," Sullivan says.

That includes star running back — and freshly-crowned NFL Offensive Player of the Year — Saquon Barkley, who is new to the Eagles since its last trip to the Super Bowl. He also happens to be 30 yards shy of breaking the NFL season rushing record, but says "The only thing that makes it special is winning a Super Bowl."

Who's performing

Kendrick Lamar won five Grammy Awards for his diss track "Not Like Us" earlier this month.

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Kendrick Lamar — who just won five Grammy awards — is set to headline the Apple Music Super Bowl 49 Halftime Show with special guests, including fellow Grammy winner and frequent collaborator SZA (with whom he is about to co-headline a national tour).

"This is one of the most important shows of his career and it's happening at a time where he's never been hotter," says NPR Music's Sidney Madden.

Lamar will be the first solo rapper to headline the halftime show. This will be the largest crowd of his career, though not his first time on the halftime stage: he performed in the 2022 halftime show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and others.

It's not clear what will be on his setlist, though there are high hopes for his diss track "Not Like Us," the newly-crowned song and record of the year (and the center of Drake's defamation lawsuit against his record label).

When asked what fans can expect when he takes the stage, Lamar said, "Storytelling."

"I think I've always been very open about storytelling throughout my catalog and my history," he said at a preview this week. "And I've always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I'm on, that sense of making people listen but also see and think a little."

There will also be several pregame performances, including a rendition of the National Anthem by Jon Batiste and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — often called the Black National Anthem — by R&B artist Ledisi.

Who's attending

Security is tight in New Orleans, especially with President Trump planning to attend the game.

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Millions of viewers are expected to tune into the big game, and the 83,000-seat Caesars Superdome could be packed — NPR has reported that Super Bowl ticket prices are down by thousands of dollars from last year.

There are going to be some big names in the stands.

Music superstar Taylor Swift is expected to be there, as she's dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Starting last year, her presence at NFL games — and the 2024 Super Bowl — has been credited with boosting football viewership among the highly sought-after female fanbase (and sparking a right-wing conspiracy theory).

And President Trump is planning to attend in person. A pre-taped interview with Fox News' Brett Baier will air during the pregame show on Sunday — reviving a tradition that former President Joe Biden skipped in 2023 and 2024.

Trump's attendance is notable because of his once-rocky relationship with the NFL and specifically with the Eagles — he disinvited them from the White House after their 2018 Super Bowl win — and because no sitting president has done so.

"Security measures have been further enhanced this year, given that this will be the first time a sitting President of the United States will attend the event," the U.S. Secret Service told NPR in a statement.

Security was already going to be extremely tight, especially after a truck attack killed 14 people and injured many others in New Orleans' French Quarter on New Year's Day.

Member station WWNO reports that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has enhanced an executive order that placed the French Quarter district in an "enhanced security zone" after that attack. It operates concurrently with a security zone surrounding the Caesars Superdome through Monday.

"The public has a role in public safety," Landry said. "Public safety is a team sport. Just like football, just like basketball, soccer."

What's at stake

The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is hosting the Super Bowl for the first time since 2013.

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There's a lot on the line besides the trophy (and hometown celebrations that would likely follow). The rivalry between the two cities has fueled plenty of prop bets and friendly wagers among its famed institutions, as member station WHYY reports.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art have agreed to loan one of their masterworks to whichever city wins.

The Philadelphia Zoo and Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium say they will decorate their famous statues (an elephant and a polar bear, respectively) with gear from the winning team. The winning city zoo will also donate $50 for each point scored to a "Saving Animals from Extinction" program at the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

Local hospitals, animal shelters, restaurants and youth orchestras have also put donations (of funds, food — cheesesteaks vs. barbecue — and performances, respectively) on the line.

Even the local NPR stations are getting in on the rivalry. If the Eagles win, Kansas City's KCUR will send barbecue to Philadelphia's WHYY. If the Chiefs win, WHYY will send KCUR a basket of iconic Philly snacks.

The Super Bowl rivalry has become a public radio tradition, especially between those two stations: In 2023, WHYY sent KCUR cheesesteaks after the Chiefs beat the Eagles in 2023.

Copyright 2025 NPR

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.