Topline:
Almost every Angeleno has a personal vendetta against a particular parking lot or garage in the greater L.A. area.
Why it matters: But now, in a truly L.A. twist on March Madness, you can help crown the worst of the worst in a competition run by Americana at Brand Memes on Instagram.
Why now: The competition kicks off Saturday with 42 lots and garages entered.
Read more ...about the competitors and how to participate.
Almost every Angeleno has a personal vendetta against a particular parking lot or garage in the greater L.A. area.
Whether you’ve spent hours snaking out of Dodger Stadium on game day, lugged your groceries blocks away from the store, or questioned your sanity turning off Pacific Coast Highway — parking here can be a uniquely frustrating experience.
But now, in a truly L.A. twist on March Madness, you can help crown the worst of the worst in a competition run by Americana at Brand Memes on Instagram.
The anonymous account holder, who goes by Mr. Glen Dale, told LAist that in a city where so many of us are conditioned to be in our cars, those coveted spots can feel like an unavoidable competition.
“One of my, like, top five things to complain about is parking,” he said. “And I’m sure a lot of Angelenos also agree with that.”
The competition kicks off Saturday with 42 lots and garages entered.
Each day at 11 a.m., @americanaatbrandmemes will post the competitors on Instagram with a poll attached.
The poll will open for 24 hours, with the winner moving onto the next round to face off against the others.
To complete the lineup, Mr. Glen Dale started with a list of his personal worst before turning to his followers for some suggestions.
“The Beverly Connection was one that I got a lot,” he said. “ But last time I was there, it was like, a $5 flat fee, there is no free parking, and I was like I don't need to go to the Target that bad, so I've never gone inside that one.”
However, there is also a wild card option. So if you’d like to enter another lot or garage, drop a comment that includes “WILD CARD: (your suggestion).”
Those comments with the most likes will advance to that bracket in the “rest” division. Fun, healthy debates are highly encouraged.
So far, the popular wild card comments include all of Koreatown, the Pub at Golden Road in Atwater Village, the In-N-Out on Harvey Drive in Glendale, and Portos in Burbank.
Koreatown and West Hollywood almost made the list, but Mr. Glen Dale felt they didn’t fit the format and would buzz through the rest of the competition. Americana at Brand Memes did put up an Instagram poll on Wednesday asking if Koreatown should be added to the bracket, and a majority of the votes were for the “Yes! CHAOS!” option.
He also considered adding the lot in the middle of LAX, but a similar poll voted that if you park there, “that’s your fault.”
The first section pits some of L.A.’s most iconic parking lots against each other.
There’s nothing quite like struggling for a spot along with thousands of your neighbors. Parking can be so brutal, even the newest Laker Luka Dončić knew it could be a way into fans' hearts.
Just got free parking right across the arena lol shoutout Luka!!! Incredible stuff 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Nq5mVZkCx3
— GoldenKnight (@GoldenKnightGFX) February 26, 2025
The options include:
But Mr. Glen Dale had high praise for the Hollywood Bowl, which he called the “gold standard” of balancing public transit access and parking.
Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake is an early favorite to win the division.
At least @mariah.michael seems to think so.
“I’m telling you right now it’s Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake,” they wrote in an Instagram comment. “It is a place where cars and souls are destroyed.”
The TJ’s on Hyperion Avenue can be challenging with turning cars poking out and blocking the busy intersection.
Shopper Jamie Solomon told LAist it’s never a good time to park in the lot as she pushed her cart full of groceries further down the street.
“ Sometimes I think I can come in the middle of the weekday, but it's always chaotic,” she said. “Getting in and out always gives me anxiety that I'm going to get into a car accident.”
But are some of the L.A. locations worse than Grand Central Market, Whole Foods, Ralphs, AND Costco?
The options are:
At the Griffith Observatory, Finn Wittrock was hiking down the hill back to his car with his son Jude on his back. Wittrock told LAist he’s not sure why the signs direct you to park “like a mile away” when there’s spaces available closer.
“ But I see other people just disobeying the sign and driving in,” he said.
The brackets include:
Although the Griffith Observatory can be a bit of a work out, especially with Tuesday’s unusually warm winter weather, Wittrock said the Glendale Galleria parking garage takes the cake.
“ The Americana one they kind of got figured out,” he said. “But that old one is…I've gotten so many near fender benders in that one.”
Both the Glendale Galleria and The Americana can go head to head in the mall division if the voters so choose.
But they have tough competition.
The options include:
For showrunner Mr. Glen Dale, The Bloc is the worst of the worst in L.A.
“ You have to go up that crazy spinning entrance … have to go to the seventh or sixth floor,” he said. “ And God forbid, if that level is like full, you have to exit the whole thing, go down to reenter, to go up to another level. It's just so badly planned … and on top of that, it's expensive.”
Topline:
Nearly three months ago, the Los Angeles City Council voted to fund homelessness prevention programs to the tune of $177 million. Despite approval by Mayor Karen Bass, the funding still has not been cleared by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. Now, some city leaders want answers about the delay.
Seeking answers: A motion submitted earlier this week by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said the “contracts remain unexecuted without explanation.” The motion goes on to say the setback has caused “$17 million ... in emergency rental assistance to sit unused” and has put “services for those at risk of homelessness in jeopardy.”
What’s next: If approved by the full council, Jurado’s motion would call on Feldstein Soto to report back to the council within 30 days about the reasons for the delay. Representatives with the City Attorney’s Office did not respond to LAist’s repeated requests for comment.
Read on … to learn the year-plus backstory on why this tenant aid funding has yet to be disbursed.
Nearly three months ago, the Los Angeles City Council voted to fund homelessness prevention programs to the tune of $177 million. Despite approval by Mayor Karen Bass, the funding still has not been cleared by City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
Now, city leaders want answers about the delay.
A motion introduced earlier this week by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said the “contracts remain unexecuted without explanation.” The motion goes on to say the setback has caused “$17 million ... in emergency rental assistance to sit unused” and has put “services for those at risk of homelessness in jeopardy.”
If passed by the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and later approved by the full council, Jurado’s motion would call on Feldstein Soto to report back to the council within 30 days about the reasons for the delay.
Representatives with the City Attorney’s Office did not respond to LAist’s repeated requests for comment.
Tenant aid providers said they’ve entered their third month without funding from the city. They said without an executed contract, legal aid organizations may soon have to lay off staff and stop taking eviction cases.
“The people who are providing the services are all in nonprofit organizations that don't have a great deal of extra funding to cover this contract that isn't being paid,” said Barbara Schultz, housing director at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
Feldstein Soto has held up the tenant aid funding since April 2025, when she refused to sign a previously approved five-year funding deal with the Legal Aid Foundation. At the time, she argued the contract should have gone through a competitive bidding process.
City officials responded by putting out a request for proposals. They ultimately selected the Legal Aid Foundation, along with several other tenant rights groups, to receive funding set aside for rent relief, tenant education, enforcement of the city’s tenant anti-harassment ordinance and programs that provide free attorneys to tenants facing eviction.
Much of the funding for these homelessness prevention programs comes from the city’s Measure ULA, also known as the L.A. “Mansion Tax.” That tax is now facing potential elimination from a statewide November ballot measure from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Feldstein Soto has frequently clashed with tenant rights advocates.
She previously attempted to remove the word “right” from the city’s “Right To Counsel” ordinance, which supplies free eviction defense attorneys to qualified tenants.
Feldstein Soto also has faced criticism for not prosecuting more landlords accused of rent gouging in the wake of the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires.
She also was accused of failing to defend the rights of tenants at the high-rise apartment complex Barrington Plaza, who went to court to successfully fight wrongful evictions from landlord company Douglas Emmett, which donated to a campaign opposing Feldstein Soto’s opponent in the 2022 election.
Feldstein Soto launched an audit of the Legal Aid Foundation last year. So far, no findings have been released.
Schultz said the organization has provided all the financial and administrative documentation requested by the L.A. Housing Department related to the contracts.
The Legal Aid Foundation is the lead contractor for the city’s eviction defense funding, but the money is shared with other legal aid organizations as well.
Elena Popp, who leads the Eviction Defense Network, said her small team of lawyers can’t continue to take on tenant cases until funding is approved.
“We're contemplating layoffs effective June 15 unless we can raise the part of the money that is our budget from the city,” Popp said. “If we lay people off, then tenants won't be served.”
Anna Urena, a paralegal with the Eviction Defense Network, says her organization would normally do intake for about 300 tenants per month.
“We're not taking on new cases. We're not representing new people right now because we don't know what's going to happen,” she said. “We really cannot leave our tenants behind.”
Jurado’s motion has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee.
Based on her third-place showing so far in the June primary election results, it appears Feldstein Soto will not be L.A.’s city attorney much longer. Popp said Feldstein Soto’s lame duck status doesn’t bode well for the contract getting signed soon.
“She now has no incentive to sign, and pressure on her will not get her to sign,” Popp said. “If that happens and the City Council doesn't take charge of this, maybe hire outside counsel to get the approval, then we won't see any money until the new city attorney comes in.”
Topline:
Millions of people are about to pack stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the World Cup, starting June 11. Public health officials have been working to ensure the health and safety of the masses of fans they're expecting at the 104 matches across 16 cities through mid-July.
L.A. Co Health Department prepares: In Los Angeles, which is hosting eight games, risk-assessment teams will monitor the surroundings for chemical exposures and biological threats. In L.A., diminished federal assistance means the health department is counting on existing staff to do the extra work. "Most of our staff are not taking vacations during the month of the World Cup because they'll need to work -– we'll be obviously accruing overtime costs," says Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. county health director.
Diminished federal presence: Ferrer hopes these events will help authorities see that public health is key to public safety — and worth investing in. On the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which serves as the nation's public health agency, has a muted presence this year. The current Trump administration has pushed thousands of workers out of the CDC workforce and tampered politically with some of its functions. Other governmental groups that would typically be involved, such as the National Security Council's biosecurity group, the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, have been disbanded, left vacant or don't have permanent .
Millions of people are about to pack stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the World Cup, starting June 11.
Public health officials have been working to ensure the health and safety of the masses of fans they're expecting at the 104 matches across 16 cities through mid-July.
In the U.S., World Cup preparations are coming in a time of a diminished federal health presence and funding. It's upped the workload for host city health departments, as they're also strapped for federal funding.
Nevertheless, World Cup host city health officials say they're prepared for the many challenges that come with large-scale celebrations and gatherings.
"We've been focusing on expecting the expected" — issues related to weather, health and human behavior, says Dr. Marcus Plescia, district health director for Fulton County, Georgia, which includes Atlanta.
Planning for the event is ongoing, says Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services in Texas. "To be able to begin preparations a year out is a luxury for us, compared to a lot of the situations that we deal with," he says.
For public health departments, the World Cup is a big deal –- but they're well prepared for the biggest challenges.
Summer heat, for instance. "We call Atlanta 'Hotlanta' for a reason," says Georgia's Dr. Plescia, "It's going to be hot and humid here -– so heat-related injuries are going to be an issue."
Atlanta is hosting eight World Cup matches and the team from Uzbekistan. At downtown Centennial Olympic Park, a month-long fan festival is expected to draw some 15,000 people a day. Cooling stations will offer air-conditioning and hydration.
Then there's feeding the crowds. "The biggest lift for us and for all health departments is that our environmental health workers have to inspect all of the food vendors — and there will be a whole lot of food vendors," Plescia says.
Inspectors will check every day to ensure the facilities are in working order and the food is safe to eat. "We want to make sure that people feel confident that they can go out to eat and have a good time –- and they don't have to worry about getting food poisoning," Plescia says.
When lots of people gather, germs tend to spread. "We're worried about sexually transmitted infections because there's going to be a lot of people here and it's going to be a festive atmosphere," Plescia says. "And then we're worried about things maybe we wouldn't have been worried about as much before, particularly measles." Measles is highly contagious among those who haven't been vaccinated, and there have been 30 U.S. outbreaks this year.
Dallas is hosting nine World Cup matches — the most of any city. The health department is stepping up disease surveillance in wastewater, expanding sites and covering more area, says Dr. Huang, the county health authority. Beyond looking for typical threats like influenza and COVID, they're also testing for "whatever might appear" through genomic sequencing, he says.
They're also broadening mosquito surveillance –- setting insect traps and testing for pathogens they can spread. "We always test for West Nile virus," Huang says, "But we're also increasing our testing for dengue, chikungunya and Zika because of all the [incoming] international travel."
Medical staff are also looking out for symptoms of Ebola or hantavirus, due to outbreaks.
Keeping track of which diseases are circulating means they'll be able to alert hospitals and the public quickly if they see a spike. "It's a lot of things we normally do but certainly more enhanced," Huang says.
They're also preparing health tips for the public in different languages: Wear a hat and sunscreen and hydrate when it's hot out. Bug spray and long sleeves help prevent mosquito bites. Stay home if you're sick. "It's the same messages [we always share], but it's really concentrated because we've got so many people coming during a hot period of time in Dallas," Huang says.
The World Cup finals are jointly hosted by New York and New Jersey on July 19.
Officials have been running practice simulations to prepare for outbreaks and mass casualty events. "We plan for the worst case scenario and go through it before it actually happens," says Dr. Alister Martin, New York City's health commissioner.
They've also set up "incident command" to "divert resources from normal stuff so that we can manage any potential emergencies," Martin says, adding that the operation will continue through much of the summer, for other big events planned in New York, including America's 250th anniversary, Pride month and the Puerto Rican Day parade.
In Los Angeles, which is hosting eight games, including the U.S. opening match versus Paraguay, risk-assessment teams will monitor the surroundings for chemical exposures and biological threats.
In L.A., diminished federal assistance means the health department is counting on existing staff to do the extra work. "Most of our staff are not taking vacations during the month of the World Cup because they'll need to work -– we'll be obviously accruing overtime costs," says Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. county health director.
And much of their regular work, like routine food inspections, gets put aside. "I know it would be easier if we weren't in a resource constrained environment," Ferrer says. "But I want to provide assurance that even in a resource constrained environment, we're well prepared."
Ferrer says they've successfully planned and managed other events of national significance, like the 2022 Super Bowl. "This work isn't new to us," she says, adding that staff are making great efforts "to make sure this is a joyous time in L.A. county and [that] we're all safe."
This year's experience will better prepare Los Angeles to host other events, she says — like the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Ferrer hopes these events will help authorities see that public health is key to public safety — and worth investing in.
On the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which serves as the nation's public health agency, has a muted presence this year.
"Usually, the CDC is a visible lead when we have international events in the United States, particularly across the country, versus just in a single state," says Dr. Debra Houry, former chief medical officer for the CDC who resigned last year.
The current Trump administration has pushed thousands of workers out of the CDC workforce and tampered politically with some of its functions, such as setting vaccine policy and publishing scientific papers. The agency's scientists rarely speak directly with the public anymore; their messages are filtered through politically appointed leadership.
Other governmental groups that would typically be involved, such as the National Security Council's biosecurity group, the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, have been disbanded, left vacant or don't have permanent leaders, Houry says.
The diminished federal presence serves as the backdrop for the World Cup.
Emily Hilliard, press secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees the CDC and ASPR, wrote in an email response to NPR: "HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are actively coordinating with state, local, and global partners to ensure public health and safety during FIFA World Cup 2026 and enhance any measures, as needed."
Localities have found that the federal presence is late in coming, and not as coordinated as it may have been in the past, says Lori Freeman, CEO for the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which represents health departments.
Freeman says the CDC started holding coordination calls and issuing some guidance a few months ago –- long after host cities started their own preparations. She notes: "When it comes to merging public health, emergency response and preparedness, that is an area we worry constantly about because the federal government is the agency that must manage across state jurisdictions between and among states."
Some have stepped up to fill perceived gaps. For instance, Georgetown University has set up a Health Security Operations Center to track infectious diseases and send out daily reports, to inform places expecting an influx of travelers throughout the World Cup.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Top line:
If you’re looking a great place to watch the upcoming World Cup on the Westside of L.A. — particularly if you can’t break the bank for a ticket — there’s O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Santa Monica. The owner sat down with Larry Mantle, host of AirTalk, to discuss sports, authentic Irish cuisine and quality Guinness.
What you'll find at the Irish pub:
1. Most notably, an Irish coffee. The alcoholic drink contains coffee and Irish whisky and is topped off with cream.
2. Quality Guinness. The pub keeps a short beer tap line — meaning it goes from keg to glass quickly — and cleans the tap line every two weeks.
3. Potato skins, banger sandwich and full Irish breakfast
The ultimate O'Brien's experience: St. Patrick's Day, obviously. Otherwise, any day when you can sit down for the full Irish breakfast and coffee.
If you’re looking for a great place to watch the upcoming World Cup on L.A.'s Westside — particularly if you can’t break the bank for a ticket — there’s O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Santa Monica.
Owner Willy O'Sullivan sat down with Larry Mantle, host of AirTalk, to discuss how the pub has managed to maintain its customer base, while others — like Brennan's and Britannia Pub — have had to close their doors. He says it all comes down to partnerships with local sports fans, trivia nights and maintaining their authentic Irish pub food and brews.
A native of Cork City, the second-largest city in Ireland, O'Sullivan arrived stateside in 1987. He opened the pub in 1994, and as interest in soccer has grown, he's built a community around European football matches, especially after subsequent World Cups. Along the road, he's also built a following for New York sports teams.
St. Patrick's Day, obviously.
But ... any other day he'd recommend coming in for the Irish breakfast with a coffee in hand or "the best Guinness in Southern California," in his words.
Because Guinness is the pub's signature drink, he's made sure to give it a short beer tap line, meaning it goes from keg to glass quickly. He also makes sure to clean the tap line every two weeks to ensure quality.
Topline:
The World Cup launches soon in Los Angeles during tumultuous times. This all means there could be protests at the stadium or various fan events. And even if demonstrations don't materialize, there are plenty of questions about what's happening with the tournament and what's allowed in the stadium and fan zones.
What's the deal with water bottles: FIFA's rules about what fans can bring into the stadium are strict. Sealed water bottles and even empty reusable water bottles are prohibited — a rule that's raised eyebrows, since the tournament is taking place in the heat of summer.
Can FIFA ban political speech: The short answer is yes, according to David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition.
Read on... for more on what is and isn't allowed during the tournament.
The World Cup launches soon in Los Angeles during tumultuous times.
It's still not clear if Iran's national team will make it to its two games here amid the U.S. war, and if they do, they'll show up to a diaspora unsure how to greet them. SoFi workers have voted to authorize a strike at the stadium, which means there could be a picket line outside the opening U.S. match against Paraguay. And ICE agents are part of the World Cup security apparatus.
This all means there could be protests at the stadium or various fan events. Even if demonstrations don't materialize, there are plenty of questions about what's happening with the tournament, what's allowed in the stadium and fan zones, and what else to expect. Even FIFA's water bottle policy (they're not allowed) is sparking criticism.
Below, we answer some of your questions about what's ahead and how to prepare when the World Cup arrives in L.A. on June 12.
FIFA's rules about what fans can bring into the stadium are strict. Sealed water bottles and even empty reusable water bottles are prohibited — a rule that's raised eyebrows since the tournament is taking place in the heat of summer.
Fans can bring posters and flags if they're under a certain size, but FIFA's guidelines also prohibit any political messages, so some signs won't be allowed.
All the rules can be found in FIFA's Code of Conduct. Here are some highlights:
What you can bring:
What you can't bring:
Similar stadium rules apply at the fan festival. Those guidelines are here. LAist has asked the Los Angeles host committee if reusable water bottles are also banned at fan zones, but did not receive an answer as of publication.
The city of L.A. is hosting watch parties that don't require a ticket, which means there aren't the same restrictions on what you can bring. Details are here.
If you're wondering if FIFA has a right to ban political speech within its stadiums, the short answer is yes, according to David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition.
" The First Amendment protects against censorship by the government. It does not apply to the actions of private entities," Loy said. "A private entity is entitled to set its own rules for what speech it allows and doesn't allow at, at its events."
Loy said people have the strongest First Amendment protections in a "traditional public forum" like a public park, street or sidewalk. In those settings, restrictions on protests have to be politically neutral. That means demonstrations can still be limited by what are known as "time, place, or manner restrictions" — such as noise regulations — but not because of the content of the demonstration.
A number of officials have confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be part of the security plan for the World Cup in Los Angeles, sparking outrage.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna recently said he'd received assurances from the Department of Homeland Security that ICE would not be conducting immigration enforcement.
Still, L.A. host committee officials and others have offered no guarantees that immigration enforcement won't take place.
LAist has a "Know Your Rights" guide to interacting with ICE agents here.
SoFi Stadium workers represented by Unite Here Local 11 are also currently negotiating with their employer for the right to walk off the job if they feel unsafe due to the presence of ICE agents at their workplace.
FIFA has a grievance mechanism where you can report human rights concerns. You can find that portal here.
L.A. County has also deployed its 211 helpline for the World Cup. You can call 211 to submit a complaint.
Still, some groups aren't satisfied, saying human rights at the tournament have been an afterthought. You can read our stories on those concerns here.
