With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Dry-Ice Bomb Explodes In Long Beach, Injures Officer

A crude, homemade dry-ice bomb -- a device that uses water, a bottle and dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide -- exploded in an alley near the 91 Artesia Freeway on Sunday slightly injuring a Long Beach police officer, reports the Daily Breeze.
Officers, responding near Bort Street and Butler Avenue to reports of what neighbors believed were fireworks, arrived on the scene just after noon and found the bomb hidden inside a plastic bag. It exploded, "sending the officer reeling," causing minor injuries, said officials.
At the other end of the alley, which runs just south of the 91 Freeway behind homes and apartments, another similar explosive was discovered. Residents were temporarily evacuated and the LA County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad was called in to detonate the device.
It can take anywhere from 30 seconds to an hour for a dry-ice bomb to rupture, depending on temperatures outside of the bottle, according to California criminal codes banning the devices.
A felony punishable by jail time and steep fines, no arrests had been announced as of Sunday afternoon. Officials are investigating who planted the bombs and why.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight.
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious.
-
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.
-
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places.
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.