How To Meet Some Baby Great Blue Herons (And Other Headlines)

We’ve had a few cloudy days lately, haven’t we? Sometimes, during those moments I truly yearn for some California sunshine, I still put myself out in nature … especially in the spring and summer months. I observe the beautiful, living things like plants, flowers and animals that make me grateful for life.

Say hi to baby great blue herons

Speaking of being thankful for the goodness of creation, there are some springtime newbies on the scene at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach: baby great blue herons. They are tall, thin, long-necked blue-gray birds that have a wide wingspan. These physically impressive birds will grow to four feet tall, making them the largest herons in North America.

My colleague Jill Replogle wrote about the baby great blue herons that have finally arrived and how you can see them. The parents won’t become empty nesters for about a month, so you have time to visit the babies. Jill has more in her article on how to get there.

Stay safe out there, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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(After you stop hitting snooze)

• What’s up with all of the gray skies this month? My colleague Jacob Margolis wrote about May Gray and June Gloom, and what’s actually going on with the weather during these months. 
• Is $20 million for unarmed crisis response programs actually enough? My colleague Robert Garrova delved into why some council members want more financial investment for the program. 
• California is expected to have record-breaking temperatures this month, and it doesn’t look like those temps will decrease. That’s raised concern for workers: Employees in several industries are calling for the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Agency to set indoor heat rules. 
• Humans have some explaining to do … we’ve been overusing the world’s largest lakes, causing them to shrink dangerously in the last three decades. Researchers said the effects of this could be significant, and NPR’s Nathan Rott explored how. 
• Companies are reaping the benefits of shooting television shows and movies just outside of the United States in Mexico City. Among them: lower costs and Mexican crews who come with their own experience. Here’s why you could see more commercials, shows and films in Mexico City. 
• Ever since the year the Titanic sank, there have been a plethora of films, documentaries and TV show episodes about the infamous cruise ship. Now deep-sea mappers have been able to fully digitize the entire ship, giving us an entirely new view of its remains.
• We’ve been talking a lot about artificial intelligence as it relates to creative writing, but what about AI in the mental health field? Could AI serve you well in therapy? Some experts think not.
• If you’re in for a night for some storytelling competition, check out the Moth GrandSLAM Championship tonight at The Regent Theater at 7 p.m. You don’t want to miss this discussion about what boxing owes to its champions at the ASU California Center at the Herald Examiner on Tuesday. Journalist and podcaster Elise Hu will delve into her book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital in a discussion with NPR’s Ailsa Chang at the Crawford Family Forum + Livestream on Thursday.

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The Top Three Tea-Sipping Trends

The L.A. chapter at RuPaul's DragCon in 2023.

(Courtesy of Sister Electra-Complex)

THREE —  Bey and Jay break a record in L.A. 

This time, the record doesn’t have anything to do with music. The dynamic hip-hop duo of this generation just paid $200 million for a 40,000-square-foot mansion in Malibu that overlooks the ocean. It’s the most that’s ever been paid for a home in California. (Los Angeles Times)

TWO — Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 

We are knee-deep into the Western Conference finals and the home team isn’t looking good. On Saturday, the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in Game 3 by 11 points. They are now down 3-0, a deficit no team in NBA playoff history has ever been able to overcome. What’s next? Game 4 starts tonight at 5:30 p.m. Will the Lakers pull through?

ONE— After a rescinded invite from the Dodgers, an LGBTQ+ group gets a new welcoming invitation 

On Saturday, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken tweeted that she was inviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to join her for the Los Angeles Angels Pride Night on June 7. This comes right after the L.A. Dodgers rescinded their invitation for the mostly LGBTQ+ group last Wednesday for their Pride Night on June 16 — where the group was supposed to receive a Community Hero Award.