Greater LA

What daily climate questions do you have? Help with the recycling bin was by far the most common response. Here are some answers. Paul Reubens, famously known as Pee-Wee Herman, died from cancer on July 30. Friends and collaborators remember the joy he brought to many lives.

Eviction filings in LA County are at their highest level in recent years. An August 1 deadline for some indebted renters could mean even more tenants forced out. With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes lingering into summer, more actors and writers need economic aid. The World Harvest Food Bank has teamed up with comedian Kristina Wong to help. If the Anaheim Angels want to hold on to star player Shohei Ohtani, they’ll likely have to pay more — and win more. 

LA’s hotel workers, actors, writers, and Teamsters are all throwing their weight behind striking workers in a way that hasn’t been seen in town for decades. Some of the world’s best surfers will compete at the U.S. open in Huntington Beach starting this weekend. The nine-day festival includes freestyle motocross, concerts, family-friendly activities, and giveaways. Spiral croissants are having a moment on the food scene in LA and all over Instagram. One baker in Pasadena is bringing her own Iranian flavors into the mix.

Amid climate change, shade is increasingly important — and so is the question of who can access and control it. On July 21, the Santa Barbara News Press filed for bankruptcy, leaving employees, creditors, and the community wondering what happened to the over 150-year-old paper. In separate exhibitions, artists Suchitra Mattai and Acaye Kerunen create powerful images of their ancestors and their visions of the future — by weaving colorful fabrics, fibers, and textiles.

In sleepy Sierra Madre, an uptick in bears has spurred the city to declare the animal a “public safety threat.” But locals and officials aren’t sure how to handle the ursine explosion. Henry Hoke’s latest novel, “Open Throat,” was inspired by LA’s own big cat P-22 and Nick Cave’s song “Hollywood.” It’s told from the perspective of a mountain lion. Sick sea lions have washed up on beaches due to a toxic algae bloom. San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center is keeping visitors out to make space to nurse these animals back to health.

Since 1923, LA’s Roman-inspired stadium has hosted key moments in U.S. history, including Olympic Games, plus visits from international luminaries and U.S. presidents. Ahead of the 1932 Olympics, LA officials planted tens of thousands of Mexican fan palm trees around the city of Angels — to help beautify the burgeoning metropolis and solidify its place on the world map. Those trees may be dying soon. As the need for mental health services grows, Fullerton is testing a new way to de-escalate police encounters by bringing social workers into the 911 mix.

This summer’s ramp-up to the “Barbie” movie’s release has made her and her signature pink inescapable. One “immersive experience” in Santa Monica takes it even further.

Actor and singer Darren Criss is performing at the Ford Theater this weekend. Expect the show to be a sing-along dance party.

Every year, starting in late July through September, the Griffith Observatory holds monthly “Star Parties,” where you can look at the night sky through dozens of different telescopes.

Conflict over a proposed aerial gondola to carry fans to and from Dodger Stadium is heating up. Is it a traffic solution or a dubious development plan? Fast food workers at McDonald’s are organizing against low wages, tough working conditions, and the highest levels of homelessness of any workers in LA. Hundreds of Filipinos in LA will march to the Philippine Consulate on Sunday to protest President Marcos’ State of the Nation address. Why do Filipinos in LA care about this?

Gov. Greg Abbott has sent a third bus — carrying 30 migrants — from TX to LA. What are the experiences of these asylum seekers, and who’s helping them in LA? As excessive heat becomes more common in Los Angeles, some local officials say air conditioning should be a necessity, not a luxury.

As summers get hotter, the City of LA is trying to keep neighborhoods cooler by painting streets with lighter colors. And it actually works. De Los, launched this month, aims to cover stories written by and for Latinos in LA and beyond. The content will all be free. Disneyland must follow Anaheim’s minimum wage law, an appellate court recently ruled. That means all employees at the theme park will soon be earning a minimum of nearly $20/hour.