Topline:
The Metro light rail project that will connect Artesia to downtown L.A. will have a new name by next year — and Angelenos get to vote on it.
Why it matters: The project has long been called the West Santa Ana Branch, named after a historic rail corridor used by Pacific Electric until the mid-1950s — but it’s caused confusion.
What's next: Voting will run until Dec. 17. The new name will be announced in January 2024.
The Metro light rail project that will connect Artesia to downtown L.A. will have a new name by next year — and Angelenos get to vote on it.
The project has long been called the West Santa Ana Branch, named after a historic rail corridor used by Pacific Electric until the mid-1950s — but it’s caused some confusion.
“Every time we've gone to pitch this project, it just feels like the majority of the time we're explaining why it's called the West Santa Ana Branch, and how that has absolutely nothing to do with where it will run, the people it will serve,” says LA County Supervisor and Metro Board member Janice Hahn.
Supervisor Hahn represents much of the area the new line will serve. She’s been trying to get the project renamed for years.
“I was told by staff at Metro that that was not going to happen, because it would jeopardize a future funding request, but I think it's been just the opposite. I think we have lost funding because of this weird name that nobody can pinpoint where it is in Los Angeles County,” Hahn says.
The new name is going to remedy that. A panel of judges — made up of city leaders from along the route — sorted through 12,000 submissions and came up with 12 finalists. Some submissions came from contestants as young as 13.
“It was very heartening to me to see how people really have connected to the history of this territory,” Supervisor Hahn says. “They suggested names that were women-empowering… There were names that related to our Native American history. There were many Spanish names that the translations were everything from “hope,” to “rivers,” to “safe route.” It was just amazing how creative everybody was.”
The name will follow the project until its completion, which is currently estimated for 2035 then, the line will receive its designated letter and color. But Hahn is optimistic that this new name won’t just stick around, it’ll accelerate the project as a whole.
“I think the enthusiasm and energy that naming this train will create, in all my heart, I believe it will help with funding, it will help speed up the project, and I believe it will connect those who live in these cities now as well as way into the future for generations to come. I think the naming of this train will be a story that we tell for a long time.”
Here is a list of the 12 final names and their descriptions, courtesy of Supervisor Hahn’s office:
Voting will run until Dec. 17. The new name will be announced in January 2024.
Topline:
L.A. County health officials today confirmed the seventh case of the measles this year in a passenger who was traveling through Hollywood Burbank Airport on the morning of June 17.
Why it matters: They're warning people who may have come in contact with the person of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus.
What you should know: Public health officials say the infected traveler arrived on Southwest Airlines Flight 4245 Gate A4 on June 17 at the Hollywood Burbank Airport. Anyone who was at that gate between 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. may have been exposed. In addition, people who were at the Thrifty Rental Car Service on June 17 from 9:20 to 10:20 a.m. and on June 18 from 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. may have been exposed. That's located at 2627 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank.
L.A. County health officials Wednesday confirmed the county's seventh measles case this year — a traveler who passed through Hollywood Burbank Airport on the morning of June 17.
They're warning people who may have come in contact with the person of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus.
What you should know: Public health officials say the infected traveler arrived on Southwest Airlines Flight 4245 Gate A4 on June 17 at the Hollywood Burbank Airport. Anyone who was at that gate between 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. may have been exposed.
Officials also noted that people who were at the Thrifty Rental Car Service on June 17 from 9:20 to 10:20 a.m. and on June 18 from 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. may have been exposed. That's located at 2627 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank.
What if I was on the flight? Public health officials say passengers sitting next to the traveler will be notified by local health departments and should monitor for symptoms. Keep in mind those symptoms could appear up to three weeks after you were exposed.
Symptoms to look out for: Common symptoms include runny nose, fever cough, or a rash. It's also important if you develop these symptoms, don't just walk into a health care center without calling ahead first.
For people exposed on June 17, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 8. For those exposed on June 18, the last day to monitor for symptoms is July 19.
How can I protect myself?: It's important to check if you are vaccinated against the measles. As health officials noted in the news release reporting the latest case: "The most effective way to protect yourself and your family is with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine."
Some context on the measles via our partner newsroom CalMatters:
Topline
The Los Angeles Unified Board voted unanimously to appoint Andres Chait, a longtime district administrator, as superintendent days after his predecessor resigned.
Why now: The board met privately to discuss the district’s top job three days after Alberto Carvalho resigned. Carvalho wrote in a letter that he was leaving “because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction.”
Who is Andres Chait? Chait rose through the ranks from teacher to administrator at LAUSD over nearly three decades. The responsibilities of his most recent role, chief of school operations, included overseeing school safety, athletics and the district’s office of emergency management.
Why it matters: LAUSD is the country’s second largest school district, employs 83,000 people and enrolls more than 400,000 students across more than 1,000 schools.
Read on ... for more on what the new administrator will face.
The Los Angeles Unified Board voted unanimously to appoint Andres Chait, a longtime district administrator, as superintendent days after his predecessor resigned.
“This board's decision reflects the confidence in Mr. Chait's leadership, his decades of service to Los Angeles Unified, and his demonstrated ability to guide the district during this period of transition,” said board President Scott Schmerelson.
The board met privately to discuss the district’s top job three days after Alberto Carvalho resigned. Carvalho wrote in a letter that he was leaving “because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction.”
The board placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave following FBI searches of his home and district office in February and appointed Chait acting superintendent. Carvalho has not been charged with a crime and has maintained his innocence.
Chait rose through the ranks from teacher to administrator at LAUSD over nearly three decades. The responsibilities of his most recent role, chief of school operations, included overseeing school safety, athletics and the district’s office of emergency management.
Chait thanked the board, the community and his family after the announcement Wednesday and reflected on his first day as a kindergarten teacher 30 years ago. “ I was probably more nervous than the kids were, but I knew then that this was a place where I could make a positive difference in the lives of students and families,” Chait said. “I've always known that there is no greater accelerator of change and opportunity than the schoolhouse, and that is still true today.”
LAUSD is the country’s second-largest school district, employs 83,000 people and enrolls more than 400,000 students across more than 1,000 schools. Despite recent gains in student test scores, the majority of students are not proficient in reading and math skills for their grade level. The district also faces looming financial challenges from declining enrollment — which is tied to state funding — and federal investigations into programs designed to help underserved students succeed.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
* Denotes interim
Topline:
A former Orange County state parks superintendent has been charged with secretly filming naked male lifeguards in the locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach.
What allegedly happened? Kevin Pearsall retired last year shortly after officials executed search warrants in the case against him. He was charged Wednesday with taking secret footage and is also accused of sending the images to two other men. Efforts to reach Pearsall were unsuccessful Wednesday.
Read on ... for more about the allegations and the pending case.
A former state parks superintendent who oversaw Orange County beaches was charged Wednesday with secretly filming naked male lifeguards and other workers inside the locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach. The former superintendent, Kevin Pearsall, is also accused of sending some of the images to two other men.
Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, faces five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months behind bars.
Scott C. Thomas, a defense attorney representing Pearsall, declined to comment in the wake of the charges being announced by the Orange County District Attorney's office. Pearsall is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 6 and could enter a plea at that time.
In July 2025, a California State Parks officer discovered a USB stick with a hidden camera in the men's locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. The officer contacted California Highway Patrol, which launched an investigation.
The investigation found Pearsall allegedly had recorded numerous secret videos in the locker room over an 11-month period beginning in August 2024, according to the DA's announcement. Pearsall retired from his job shortly after CHP served search warrants in the case. He turned himself in earlier this week.
Marty Greenstein, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told LAist the agency “takes these charges very seriously and has fully cooperated with law enforcement through every step of the investigation.” Greenstein declined to comment further, citing the active criminal investigation.
Topline:
Sang Yoon — the chef behind Father's Office, the Los Angeles gastropub institution known for its high-quality food and an uncompromising no-substitutions policy — has opened Tiny's, a new fast-casual burger stand and konbini-style snack shop inside Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza.
Why it matters: For Yoon, the son of Korean immigrants who grew up between two worlds, Tiny's is the restaurant he always imagined but never had: an American burger stand meets an Asian convenience store, all under one roof.
Why now: Tiny's opened last week at South Coast Plaza, marking Yoon's first new concept in years and his first venture into Orange County — a deliberately accessible entry point for a chef who has spent decades at the top of L.A.'s gastropub scene.
Read on ... for more on what makes the new venture special.
Making your way through South Coast Plaza — the sleek consumer cathedral in Costa Mesa, a sort of mall of malls — past Uniqlo window displays and Pop Mart blind boxes, there's a good chance you'll eventually land at Tiny's, the new casual restaurant from Chef Sang Yoon.
The burger shack-meets-Asian convenience store is the latest from Yoon, best known for Father's Office, the Los Angeles institution where he's spent two decades running one of the city's most uncompromising kitchens — no substitutions, no exceptions.
Tiny’s marks Yoon’s first venture into Orange County — a deliberately accessible entry point for a chef who has spent decades at the top of L.A.'s gastropub scene.
Tiny's is the place Yoon wanted to exist as a kid.
Inside, you're greeted by shelves stocked in the style of a konbini, the beloved Japanese convenience corner store, with cilantro-flavored Doritos from China, elote-flavored Turtle Chips from Korea and, for the purists, the requisite Japanese Kit-Kats and Pocky too.
At the counter, a friendly employee greets you beneath a letterboard menu anchored by Yoon’s signature 30-day dry-aged beef burger. Starting at $9 for a plain burger, up to $12 for the Tokyo Dog dressed in bonito flakes and furikake, there's also salt and vinegar tots, french fries, miso mac 'n' cheese and soft serve that runs from Straus vanilla to Pineapple Dole Whip, available as a swirl, cup, cone or float. That's the menu, streamlined by design.
For Yoon, the son of Korean immigrants who grew up between two worlds, the idea of opening a burger stand with a konbini was about tapping into the happy place of his memories: after school with friends, trying out the latest snacks to hit the market to Friday nights with the entire family celebrating after a long week of grinding it out with burgers and chili fries.
"The corner burger stand is where life happened. ... What if those two of my favorite things were under one roof?" said Yoon.
Inspiration for the name Tiny’s came from a somewhat unlikely place: Yoon’s beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Yoon describes her as appearing extremely cute and friendly, but in reality, she was actually sassy and judgmental. Illustrations bearing Tiny’s "don't mess with me" vibe can be seen throughout the restaurant.
“People would rather hear this from a sassy, cute dog than me. So I decided that we should channel Tiny. And let this belong to her," Yoon said.
The cheeseburger itself is simple: a thin patty topped with melted American cheese and Tiny's signature sauce — a blend of Kewpie mayo, caramelized gochujang, ssamjang and tomato — finished with pickle chips and a bed of lettuce.
What sets it apart is what you can’t see, the same 30-day dry-aged chuck Yoon has used at Father’s Office for over 25 years.
“I still don’t think there’s any product superior to that for the purpose of a hamburger,” he said.
The nuggets ($10) had a crispy, craggy exterior finished with visible seasoning crystals, a small but deliberate touch, and came with a fresh herbaceous dipping sauce. As for the chili fries ($8), the chili itself was sufficient as an L.A.-style chili (think Tommy's), but since Lao Gan Ma chili crisp was promised in the name, I was expecting that distinctive, crunchy, fermented kick — but left wanting more of it. It felt more like a whisper than a statement.
The miso mac 'n' cheese ($6) was a highlight of the meal, especially for someone who doesn't usually order mac 'n' cheese. Fresh ridged elbow pasta with a proper chew in each bite, and salty morsels of miso folded into a tight cheese sauce had me picking up forkfuls until it was mostly gone. Consider my position reconsidered.
Encouraged, I went back and ordered a Dole Whip ($7). The electric, tangy flavor, paired with the soft creaminess, served as a suitable exclamation point for my lunch that day.
With Tiny's, Yoon has built his most personal restaurant — accessible in price, but uncompromising in intention.
Could mall food now be on a new trajectory? Perhaps we've finally transcended corn dogs at Hot Dog on a Stick and cinnamon rolls at Cinnabon.
After dining at Tiny’s, all signs point to yes.
