Note: Boys finals in all divisions Friday, May 15 at Fred Kelly Stadium (times TBA); Girls finals in all divisions Saturday, May 16 (times TBA) at Fred Kelly Stadium.
Santa Clarita Christian at Academy of Academic Excellence
Nuview Bridge at Burbank Providence
Bishop Diego at Nordhoff
Magnolia at Indian Springs
Banning at Artesia
Salesian at Anaheim
Hesperia Christian at Schurr
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1
Pool A Round 1 Winner vs. Pool A Round 1 Winner
Pool A Round 1 Loser vs. Pool A Round 1 Loser
Pool D Round 1 Winner vs. Pool D Round 1 Winner
Pool D Round 1 Loser vs. Pool D Round 1 Loser
Pool C Round 1 Winner vs. Pool C Round 1 Winner
Pool C Round 1 Loser vs. Pool C Round 1 Loser
Pool D Round 1 Winner vs. Pool D Round 1 Winner
Pool D Round 1 Loser vs. Pool D Round 1 Loser
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 3
Arlington at Mira Costa
Redondo Union at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Dos Pueblos at Burbank Burroughs
Edison at Damien
Orange County Pacifica Christian at Palos Verdes
Warren at West Ranch
San Dimas at Cajon
Crescenta Valley at St. Francis
Oakwood at Agoura
Garden Grove Pacifica at Chino Hills
Bishop Amat at Corona del Mar
Fullerton at San Juan Hills
Charter Oak at Beckman
South Torrance at Millikan
Summit at La Canada
Simi Valley at Arcadia
DIVISION 5
Paloma Valley at Citrus Valley
Moreno Valley at Irvine
Cathedral at Calvary Baptist
Sunny Hills at Long Beach Poly
Tahquitz at Quartz Hill
Kaiser at Oak Hills
Heritage Christian at Paramount
Loara at Santra Barbara
Montebello at Long Beach Wilson
Jurupa Hills at Santa Fe
Temescal Canyon at Arrowhead Christian
Capistrano Valley Christian at Riverside Prep
Culver City at Cerritos Valley Christian
Mayfair at St. Bonaventure
Bishop Montgomery at Cerritos
Rancho Verde at St. Bernard
DIVISION 7
Palmdale at New Roads
Carpinteria at Flintridge Prep
North Torrance at Baldwin Park
Beverly Hills at Grace
Pasadena Poly at Santa Paula
Milken at Fontana
Patriot at Viewpoint
Placentia Valencia at Victor Valley
Riverside Notre Dame at Hemet
South El Monte at Buena Park
University Prep at Golden Valley
Jurupa Valley at Campbell Hall
Arroyo at Miller
Carter at Adelanto
Nogales at Garden Grove
San Jacinto Valley at Norwalk
DIVISION 9
Redlands Adventist Academy at Dunn
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian at Lennox Academy
Downey Calvary Chapel at Crossroads Christian
Coastal Christian at St. Monica Academy
Mesa Grande at San Bernardino
San Luis Obispo Classical at Ojai Valley
Loma Linda Academy at Webb
Santa Maria Valley Christian at Yucca Valley
Lucerne Valley at Rolling Hills Prep
United Christian Academy at Ambassador Christian
Riverside Bethel Christian at Desert Hot Springs
Anza Hamilton at Westminster
Pomona at Temecula Prep
Cobalt at Environmental Charter
Garden Grove Santiago at Gorman Charter
Animo Leadership at St. Pius X-St, Matthias Academy
Note: Second Round in Divisions 2-9 May 19; Third Round in Division 1 May 19; Quarterfinals in all divisions May 22; Semifinals in all divisions May 26; Finals in all divisions May 29-30.
#1 Taft d. #9 East Valley, 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-18
#4 North Hollywood d. #5 VAAS, 3-2
#3 Cleveland d. #6 Vaughn, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23
#2 Sylmar d. #7 Larchmont Charter, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20
DIVISION II
#1 LA Hamilton d. #8 Huntington Park, 3-0
#4 Marquez d. #5 Bernstein, 3-0
#6 Narbonne d. #3 Diego Rivera, 3-0
#7 Panorama d. #2 LA University, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION III
#1 New West Charter d. #17 San Fernando, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 25-13
#9 Central City Value d. #8 Foshay, 25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-14
#5 University Prep Value d. #12 Northridge Academy, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22
#13 Birmingham d. #4 Sun Valley Magnet, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20
#3 South East d. #14 Fairfax, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16
#11 Monroe d. #6 Reseda, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19
#7 Lincoln d. #10 Animo Bunche, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8
#2 Legacy d. #18 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park d. #1 Hollywood, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20
#8 Annenberg d. #9 LACES, 3-0
#12 Mendez d. #5 Animo South LA, 3-2
#4 Math & Science College d. #20 Chavez, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27
#3 Manual Arts d. #19 West Adams, 3-1
#6 King/Drew d. #11 Animo Robinson, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11
#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Arleta, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16
#2 RFK Community d. #18 Community Charter, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22
DIVISION V
#1 WISH Academy d. #17 Garfield, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22
#9 Alliance Levine d. #8 Locke, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19
#21 LAAE d. #5 Fulton, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-20
#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #4 Animo Watts, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13
#14 Franklin D. #3 Jefferson, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23
#6 Gardena d. #11 Stern, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19
#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #7 Horace Mann UCLA, 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24
#15 Sotomayor d. #2 Bert Corona, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
#4 Venice d. #5 LA Marshall, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19
#3 Chatsworth d. #6 Wilmington Banning, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24
#2 Palisades d. #7 Eagle Rock, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20
SOUTHERN SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Valencia, 26-24, 25-18, 26-24
St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday
Santa Ana Foothill d. Servite, 3-1
Windward d. Crescenta Valley, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21
DIVISION 4
Village Christian d. Chino Hills, 3-0
Royal d. Temple City, 3-1
Sunny Hills d. Northwood, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16
Crossroads d. San Marino, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22
DIVISION 5
El Dorado d. Dos Pueblos, 3-0
Bishop Diego d. Brea Olinda, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-10
Bellflower d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17
Western Christian d. St. Anthony, 22-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8
DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley d. Beverly Hills, 3-1
Culver City d. Firebaugh, 3-1
Garden Grove d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 3-1
Pasadena Poly d. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, 3-2
DIVISION 7
Rialto d. La Sierra Academy, 3-2
Foothill Tech d. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3-2
Oakwood d. Knight, 3-2
Tustin d. Indio, 3-2
DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon d. Santa Rosa Academy, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23
CAMS d. Eastside, 3-0
West Valley d. Burbank Providence, 3-2
Palmdale Aerospace d. Glendale Adventist, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19
DIVISION 9
Tarbut V’Torah d. Webb, 3-1
Le Lycée d. YULA, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-20,
Vasquez d. Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-1
Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION I
#9 East Valley at #1 Taft
#5 VAAS at #4 North Hollywood
#6 Vaughn at #3 Cleveland
#7 Larchmont Charter at #2 Sylmar
DIVISION II
#8 Huntington Park at #1 LA Hamilton
#5 Bernstein at #4 Marquez
#6 Narbonne at #3 Diego Rivera
#7 Panorama at #2 LA University
SECOND ROUND
(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION III
#17 San Fernando at #1 New West Charter, 3 p.m.
#9 Central City Value at #8 Foshay
#12 Northridge Academy at #5 University Prep Value
#13 Birmingham at #4 Sun Valley Magnet
#14 Fairfax at #3 South East
#11 Monroe at #6 Reseda
#10 Animo Bunche at #7 Lincoln
#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Legacy
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park at #1 Hollywood
#9 LACES at #8 Annenberg
#12 Mendez at #5 Animo South LA
#20 Chavez at #4 Math & Science College
#19 West Adams at #3 Manual Arts
#11 Animo Robinson at #6 King/Drew
#10 Arleta at #7 Maywood CES
#18 Community Charter at #2 RFK Community
DIVISION V
#17 Garfield at #1 WISH Academy
#9 Alliance Levine at #8 Locke
#21 LAAE at #5 Fulton
#13 Rancho Dominguez vs. #4 Animo Watts at LA Adventist, 5:30 p.m.
#14 Franklin at #3 Jefferson
#11 Stern at #6 Gardena
#10 Animo De La Hoya at #7 Horace Mann UCLA Community
#15 Sotomayor at #2 Bert Corona
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS TUESDAY’S RESULTS QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 1 Mira Costa d. Tesoro, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 Huntington Beach d. Corona del Mar, 3-0 Loyola d. Newport Harbor, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 Redondo Union d. Santa Margarita, 3-2
DIVISION 2 Orange Lutheran d. Fountain Valley, 25-20, 25-14, 25-16 St. Margaret’s d. San Clemente, 3-0 Camarillo d. Yorba Linda, 3-1 Edison d. Arcadia, 3-1
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION (Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills #5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice #6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth #7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades
Note:Second round Divisions I-V May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions I-II May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
SOUTHERN SECTION (Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3 Valencia at Palos Verdes St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday Servite at Santa Ana Foothill Windward at Crescenta Valley
DIVISION 4 Chino Hills at Village Christian Royal at Temple City Northwood at Sunny Hills San Marino at Crossroads
DIVISION 5 Dos Pueblos at El Dorado Bishop Diego at Brea Olinda Bellflower at Flintridge Prep Western Christian at St. Anthony
DIVISION 6 Beverly Hills at Temecula Valley Culver City at Firebaugh Capistrano Valley Christian at Garden Grove Pasadena Poly at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
DIVISION 7 La Sierra Academy at Rialto Foothill Tech at Cerritos Valley Christian Oakwood at Knight Tustin at Indio
DIVISION 8 Santa Rosa Academy at Temescal Canyon Eastside vs. CAMS at Lindsey Middle School Burbank Providence at West Valley Glendale Adventist at Palmdale Aerospace
DIVISION 9 Tarbut V’Torah at Webb Le Lycée at YULA Vasquez at Cantwell-Sacred Heart Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
Note:Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
The sands of Oceano Dunes — the only state park where visitors are usually allowed to drive on the beach — are unusually quiet right now.
Too quiet, many locals say, because off-road vehicles and beach camping have been temporarily banished from San Luis Obispo County’s Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area since April 14.
Many others, however, are happy about the pause, saying it will be good for the western snowy plover, a threatened sea bird species.
This discord is part of a long-running battle between environmentalists and recreation advocates along this stretch of coastline a few miles south of Pismo Beach. The environmentalists won the most recent round when a federal judge ordered the dunes closed until state parks officials obtain a permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allows occasional bird casualties.
State parks officials, who have canceled all camping reservations in the area through May 22, said they hope to reopen it by May 23. But that timetable depends on permit approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Camping reservations for May 23 and beyond are still active, according to Jon O’Brien, superintendent of the state parks system’s Oceano district.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Meanwhile, along Pier Street in Oceano, business is slow.
At Sun Buggy Fun Rentals, which has been catering to visiting families for more than 20 years, “we’ve had to lay a majority of our folks off,” said owner Randy Jordan. He said he’s counting on state parks officials “doing everything they can” to reopen the area on May 23.
At the Pier Street Deli y Mas, “It’s been really slow,” manager Chelsea Nava said. “Our employees are losing hours.”
In normal times, Nava said, 80% or more of her customers are from out of town, including “a lot of people from Bakersfield and Fresno, [who] come in for the dunes.”
“We aren’t quite sure” what to expect next, Nava said, noting that her family took over the deli in late 2024. “We were doing really great right before the closing,” she said.
The closure was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Anne Hwang, who ruled April 9 that the state needs to do more to protect the western snowy plover, which is classified as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Under Hwang’s order, the closed area can reopen when the state files a long-awaited habitat conservation plan and gets an “incidental take” permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allows some snowy plover deaths and injuries. Jon O’Brien, superintendent of the state parks system’s Oceano district, said he was confident that the state would obtain the approval and reopen the area almost immediately after May 22.
Camping reservations for May 23 and beyond “are still active,” O’Brien said. “So if you’ve got a camping reservation for May 24, you’re still got a reservation.”
Jim Suty, president of the Friends of Oceano Dunes, which favors recreational use of the area, said he’s hopeful that parks officials can open the area as promised. But even if they do, Suty said, plenty of damage has been done.
“People really need to appreciate that closing the park at this time did nothing to help the endangered species, and did everything to hurt the people,” Suty said, referring to visitors and local businesses that depend on them. “It’s very important to the vitality of the local community.”
“It’s maddening,” said David Hamilton, who lives in nearby Arroyo Grande and said he has been driving the dunes and watching sunsets with his wife for years. “There’s so much coastline and they can’t leave this small stretch open.”
The recreation area’s status has long been crucial to Oceano, an unincorporated community of about 7,000, located just to its north.
Though there are several neighboring small cities along the nearby coast, Oceano merchants say they don’t get much business from Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande or Pismo Beach, which includes more upscale hotels and restaurants with clifftop ocean views.
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area remains the only California State Park where vehicles may be driven on the beach.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The judge’s order covers roughly 800 acres of off-highway vehicle area south of Arroyo Grande Creek. Until April 14, O’Brien said, up to 350 campers per night (at $10 per vehicle) were allowed in the area, along with up to 1,720 off-highway and 1,800 street-legal vehicles per day, at $5 per vehicle.
The most recent court case was initiated in 2020 by the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity. Zeynep Graves, a senior attorney at the center, said in a statement that state officials “have let off-road vehicles tear through protected habitat at Oceano Dunes, injuring and killing snowy plovers, harassing roosting flocks, and degrading their habitat.”
However, state parks statistics show that the western snowy plover breeding population has grown from at least 32 breeding adults in 2002 to at least 281 in 2024, exceeding state targets since 2013.
In her ruling, Hwang found that California state parks had violated the federal Endangered Species Act by permitting too much activity near the birds without having obtained an “incidental take” permit.
State parks officials responded by saying the closure “will result in thousands of families losing their camping reservations and coastal recreational access, while cutting operational revenue that funds environmental conservation.”
During the closure, Pismo State Beach — which is just north of the off-highway recreation area and Arroyo Grande Creek — will allow a maximum of 1,000 street-legal vehicles per day (and no off-highway vehicles). Pismo State Beach’s two campgrounds (near the beach but not on it) remain open.
Oceano Dunes is the state’s only oceanfront off-highway vehicle recreation area. Drivers have been driving on the beach and dunes there since the early 20th century. The state acquired the land in 1974 and created the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in 1982.
Through the years, state parks officials have gradually reduced acreage open to off-highway vehicles as recreation advocates and environmentalists have debated how much protection the birds need. Often, the battle has pitted the California Coastal Commission (seeking to curtail vehicle access) against leaders of California State Parks (seeking to continue vehicle access).
Apart from closures, Oceano Dunes recently faced another challenge. Because of CoVID-19 safety measures, the area locked its gates in 2020-21. During that time, rare shorebirds started nesting in areas usually reserved for off-roaders and their beach-riding vehicles. In 2021, the California Coastal Commission sought to permanently end off-road driving in the dunes but was later overruled by court rulings that the agency had overstepped its authority.
Throughout the debate, the area has remained popular. In 2022-23, the most recent fiscal year for which statistics are available, the area drew more than 908,000 visitors, including about 126,000 campers.
SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have landed on a new tentative contract.
The actors union’s new agreement with the trade group that negotiates with Hollywood unions on behalf of the major studios will reportedly improve AI protections and boost the guild’s pension fund. Similar to the pact the Writers Guild reached with the studios last month, SAG-AFTRA’s contract will last four years instead of the usual three.
SAG-AFTRA confirmed the tentative deal on Saturday. The union said in a statement that “specific details will not be released” until the SAG-AFTRA National Board reviews its terms.
The contract is set to cover workers who are involved in motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television, streaming content and new media.
The actors union began negotiations with the studios in February and extended those talks in March, but paused to allow the AMPTP to finish negotiations with the writers union. Negotiations resumed April 27 and ended May 2.
The tentative contract still needs to be voted on by its members — SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 actors, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, stunt performers, voice-over artists and other entertainment professionals.
The union’s current contract is set to expire June 30. SAG-AFTRA joins WGA as the latest Hollywood union to strike a deal with the studios.
The Directors Guild of America is the last union that still needs to reach an agreement with the studios. Negotiation sessions with AMPTP will begin on May 11, as its contract is set to expire on June 30.
Los Angeles didn’t get many April showers, but May flowers are blooming just the same, leaving a lingering scent of jasmine as the star-shaped flower blossoms across the city. Jacaranda trees will soon follow suit, turning the skyline of entire neighborhoods lavender as spring stretches into summer.
Marine layer aside, this season invites us to get outside and make the most of living in L.A. The Metro will soon open the expansion of its D Line, making it convenient to peruse Museum Row, the Grove and bars and restaurants along Fairfax and in Beverly Hills without a car. Local farmers markets are more abundant than ever, with rainbow assortments of stone fruits and tomatoes.
And there are plenty of patios and rooftops for enjoying sunny evenings and taking in city views. Keep reading if you need dining inspiration this month, like exploring a new hand roll counter in downtown L.A., a buzzy Larchmont diner that lives up to the hype and a pan-African destination for customizable “slop bowls” in Gardena.
A Supreme Court decision striking down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana has amplified an already intense national redistricting battle by providing Republican officials in several states new grounds to redraw voting districts.
Louisiana has suspended its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts. Meanwhile, President Trump is pressuring other states to redistrict — potentially still ahead of the November midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the closely divided House.
Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same. Then other states joined the battle. Lawmakers, commissions or courts have adopted new House districts in eight states.
That total could grow following the Supreme Court’s decision that significantly weakened a provision in the federal Voting Rights Act.
Here’s a look at how some states are responding to the Supreme Court ruling:
Louisiana
Current House map: two Democrats, four Republicans
Early in-person voting was to begin Saturday for Louisiana’s primaries. But Republican Gov. Jeff Landry moved quickly Thursday to postpone the congressional primary while allowing elections for other offices to go forward.
A federal lawsuit filed later Thursday, on behalf of a Democratic congressional candidate and voter, asked a court to block Landry’s order and allow the House primary to occur as originally scheduled. Among other things, the lawsuit asserted that tens of thousands of absentee ballots already have been mailed to people and a substantial number have been filled out and returned.
Separately, a three-judge federal court panel that heard the case that was appealed to the Supreme Court also issued an order Thursday suspending Louisiana’s congressional primary.
Republican state House and Senate leaders said they are prepared to pass new U.S. House districts — and set a new primary election date — before their legislative session ends in a month.
Alabama
Current House map: two Democrats, five Republicans
Alabama officials on Thursday filed an emergency motion with the Supreme Court seeking an expedited review of a pending appeal in a redistricting case.
A federal court in 2023 ordered the creation of a new near-majority Black district in Alabama, resulting in the election of a second Black representative to the U.S. House. Alabama is under a court order to use the new map until after the next census in 2030.
An appeal pending before the Supreme Court argues that the map is an illegal racial gerrymander, a claim similar to that made in Louisiana.
The state is seeking to lift an injunction blocking the use of the 2023 map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature that did not include the new district.
The state’s primaries are set for May 19. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday that the state is “not in position to have a special session at this time” on redistricting.
Florida
Current House map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans
Hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, Florida’s Republican-led Legislature approved new U.S. House districts that could help the GOP win up to four additional seats in November.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session without knowing when the Supreme Court would issue its opinion in the Louisiana case. But DeSantis expressed confidence that the court would rule as it did. Among other things, the new map reshapes a southeastern Florida district that DeSantis said was created to help elect a Black representative in an attempt to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.
A Florida constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2010 prohibits districts from being drawn to deny or diminish the ability of racial or language minorities to elect the representatives of their choice. DeSantis said he considers that amendment a violation of the U.S. Constitution. That question is expected to be decided by the courts.
Tennessee
Current House map: one Democrat, eight Republicans
The Tennessee General Assembly recently ended its annual session. But pressure is growing to bring lawmakers back to revise the state’s congressional districts.
Trump posted on social media Thursday that he had spoken with Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who he said would work hard for a new map that could help Republicans gain an additional seat. Democrats currently hold only one seat, a district centered in Memphis, which is majority Black.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, said he is in conversations with the White House and others while reviewing the court’s decision.
The state’s candidate qualifying period ended in March. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6.
Mississippi
Current House map: one Democrat, three Republicans
Mississippi held its U.S. House primaries in March. But the Supreme Court’s decision could affect elections for other offices.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves announced previously that he would call a special legislative session to redraw voting districts for the state Supreme Court that would begin 21 days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Louisiana case. That would put the special session’s start at around May 20.
A federal judge last year ordered Mississippi to redraw its Supreme Court voting districts after finding that they violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. Mississippi lawmakers had been waiting on a decision in the Louisiana case before moving forward, but their legislative session ended in April.
Reeves said in his proclamation that the Supreme Court’s decision would provide guidance to lawmakers on whether “race-conscious redistricting” violates the U.S. Constitution.
Georgia
Current House map: five Democrats, nine Republicans
Early in-person voting began April 27 and continues for the next few weeks ahead of Georgia’s primary elections on May 19.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said it’s too late for Georgia officials to try to change congressional districts for this year’s elections, because voting already is underway. But he said the rationale in the Supreme Court’s decision “requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle.”
Lieb writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Jeff Amy and Kim Chandler contributed to this report.
Note: Second Round in Divisions II-V, May 7 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Division I, May 7 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Divisions II-V, May 11 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Open and Division I, May 12 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Division DII-V, May 13 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 15-16 (sites and times TBD).
Megan Thee Stallion’s Broadway run playing Zidler in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is ending weeks earlier than planned, and days after she announced a messy split from NBA star Klay Thompson.
The “Wanna Be” hitmaker is pulling out of her first Broadway run weeks sooner than anticipated. Megan announced the news on Instagram alongside a bandaged heart emoji and said she would step away from the production Friday rather than the originally slated May 17.
“Hotties, my last performance as Zidler in @moulinrougebway will be May 1,” she wrote. “It’s been such an honor to be part of thee Moulin Rouge family and I’ve met so many amazing people in this theater!
“Y’all work so hard and I have so much respect for the dedication, the stamina, the work ethic, the time and the effort y’all put into the work! I’m so grateful for the cast and crew that made this experience so meaningful. And to all the Hotties that showed up or planned to attend, thank you for supporting me during this incredible journey! I LOVE YALL . . . See you soon.”
The Grammy Award-winning rapper made history as the show’s first woman to portray the charismatic cabaret manager Zidler — the character’s full name is Harold Zidler. Broadway veteran Eric Anderson will step back into the role on May 19, but the actor who will cover the interim, from May 2 through 17, hasn’t been announced.
The wildly popular “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” was recently extended on Broadway, with its final performance set for Aug. 30 after a seven-year run.
Although Megan didn’t offer a reason for her departure, the move comes amid a recent health scare and some personal upheaval for the “Hot Girl Summer” chart topper.
On Saturday, the “Savage” rapper aired some dirty laundry on social media, writing in a since-expired Instagram story that her recent beau, Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Klay Thompson, didn’t know if he could be monogamous and had treated her horribly during their time together. “I need a REAL break after this one,” she wrote.
She followed the social media admission with a formal statement issued to People confirming that she and Thompson had split just months after they took their relationship public.
“I’ve made the decision to end my relationship with Klay,” Megan said in a statement. “Trust, fidelity and respect are non-negotiable for me in a relationship, and when those values are compromised, there’s no real path forward. I’m taking this time to prioritize myself and move ahead with peace and clarity.”
WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Tuesday in an investigation over a social media photo of seashells arranged on a beach that officials said constituted a threat against President Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and confirmed the indictment to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The charge or charges against Comey were not immediately known.
It’s the second criminal case the Justice Department has brought against the longtime Trump foe, who said he assumed the arrangement of shells he saw on a walk, reading “86 47,” was a political message, not a call to violence. Comey is among multiple foes of the Republican president to come under scrutiny by the Justice Department over the last year, as acting Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche aims to position himself as the right person to hold the job permanently.
Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service in May after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment Tuesday.
Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by the Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”
Trump, in a Fox News Channel interview in May, accused Comey of knowing “exactly what that meant.”
“A child knows what that meant,” Trump said. “If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination. And it says it loud and clear.”
The fact that the Justice Department pursued a new case against the ex-FBI director months after a separate and unrelated indictment was dismissed will likely spark defense claims that the Trump administration is going out of its way to target Comey, who had overseen the early months of an investigation into whether the Republican president’s 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election.
The former FBI director was indicted in September on charges that he lied to and obstructed Congress related to testimony he gave in 2020 about whether he had authorized inside information about an investigation to be provided to a journalist. He denied any wrongdoing, and the case was subsequently dismissed after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who brought the indictment was illegally appointed.
Comey was the FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by then-President Obama, a Democrat, and serving before that as a senior Justice Department official in President George W. Bush’s Republican administration.
But the relationship was strained from the start, including after Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private dinner to pledge his personal loyalty to the president — an overture that so unnerved the FBI director that he documented it in a contemporaneous memorandum.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign. That inquiry, later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, would ultimately find that while Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal collaboration.
The department, for instance, is also pursuing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, another key figure in the Russia investigation — one of Trump’s chief grievances and a saga for which he and his supporters have long sought retaliation.
CNN was the first to report the second indictment against Comey.
Ninety-five years ago next month, Aurelio Manrique Jr. landed a job as a mild-mannered L.A. Times columnist. But the resume this native of the central Mexico state of San Luis Potosí brought to the paper was that of a firebrand.
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Medical student turned political prisoner. Fought in the Mexican Revolution. Governor of his home state. Trusted advisor of general-turned-president Álvaro Obregón. Founder of a left-wing political party. Mexican legislator. He even took to the floor of Mexico’s congress to denounce former president Plutarco Elías Calles as a farsante — a phony — and then pull a gun on a rival who took issue with his vitriol.
Tall, with round wire glasses and a shock of black hair that was the inverse of his Moses-like beard, Manrique cut an exciting figure in Latino L.A. when he arrived as a political exile in 1929 after the so-called Escobar rebellion, which was an attempt to overthrow the Mexican government. A Oct. 28, 1929 Times dispatch noted that “it is not uncommon to find among the shabby, shuffling street venders [sic] of Sonoratown” former Mexican bigwigs “offering sweetmeats and trinkets from trays” in an effort to survive.
Finding a home in L.A.
They, like so many other political refugees before and since, made L.A. a home but also a place to fight for the freedom of their homeland.
Manrique, on the other hand, was hailed as the “intellectual head” of his fellow Mexican refugee politicos and an “accomplished linguist” who spoke Spanish, English, French and German.
“He stands in my memory as a pillar of fire because, at all times, he has never been afraid to do or say what he considered to be right, regardless of his own personal or political fate,” an admirer would recall decades later in the Virginia Quarterly Review.
The revolutionary found welcome audiences across the Southland with lectures and Spanish-language radio show appearances to talk about what was going on in his home country. He participated in Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo festivities and even found work in Hollywood films as everything from a British lord to an Arab sheikh.
But reputation doesn’t pay the bills, so Manrique also offered translation and interpreter services from a small Bunker Hill office. He also held Spanish-language classes twice a week at the L.A. Central Library. Soon after, The Times — a paper that back then loathed leftists of all stripes — hired Manrique as a columnist in May 1931. He was to be in charge of its daily Spanish-language roundup of world and local events, which the paper had regularly published since 1922.
The revolutionary plays a more reserved role
I wish I could say that Manrique used his platform to inveigh against the mass roundups of Mexican Americans that kicked off that year and that would lead to the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Mexican Americans, citizens and not, during the 1930s. Or that Manrique taught his Times bosses that Latinos were more than domestic help or a societal scourge. Or that he deserves a spot in the pantheon of legendary Times metro columnists like Jack Smith, Ruben Salazar and Steve Lopez.
Alas, it was not to be.
The daily columna was just a roundup of wire stories published in Spanish, part of The Times’ effort to teach the language of Cervantes to those interested. Every Monday, the 40-year-old Manrique also wrote Platicas de Los Lunes [Monday Lessons], a place for the professor to teach new words to readers via translations, poems and sample sentences.
Manrique’s last byline was April 25, 1932. In the hundreds of columnas he wrote for us, I found nothing even remotely hinting at the progressive lion that Mexicans in Southern California knew him as. But in an era in which Latino visibility in Anglo Southern California was nonexistent when it wasn’t heavily stereotyped, Manriquez’s brief tenure at The Times was an important step for future Latino writers at the paper, all of us whom owe a debt to the man.
He returned to Mexico in early 1933 after President Abelardo L. Rodríguez announced amnesty for him and other exiles. The former revolutionary spent the rest of his life working for the Mexican government, most notably as ambassador to Scandinavian countries from 1946 to 1956.
In 1962, the retired Manrique returned to his old L.A. stomping grounds one final time five years before his death for a lecture at the Alexandria Hotel.
“He finds Los Angeles completely changed,” La Opinión reported, “and told us, with a tone of barely concealed sadness, that many of those who knew him had disappeared.”
The fate of all Angelenos, alas.
Today’s top stories
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks at a March 7 town hall in Mentone.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A Trump-endorsed Republican could become California’s next governor
A second ticket drop for the Olympics
A second ticket drop is set to open in August and will offer refreshed inventory across all sports at a range of prices.
Those who registered but did not receive a slot in the first ticket drop or did not buy all 12 of their tickets will be enrolled in a lottery for a spot in the second ticket drop.
The parks will serve historically underserved communities with recreation and historic preservation.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must-read
Other must-reads
For your downtime
The waffle with maple butter is the drive-across-town dish at celebrity-backed Max & Helen’s, the Larchmont diner opened by Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton.
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
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A question for you: What’s your favorite California-themed book?
Marya says, “Hard Times in Paradise” by David and Micki Colfax.
Cristina says, “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.
On this day 21 years ago, “Me at the zoo” was the first video uploaded to YouTube, opening the door to a new medium of television.
For the 20th anniversary last year, The Times’ Wendy Lee wrote about the video sharing platform and how it changed TV as we know it.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Much of the news dominating the local restaurant scene has focused on sadness.
Two Los Angeles icons, Cole’s French Dip and Echo Park’s Taix restaurant, closed after more than 215 combined years of service.
It’s easy to be down and not necessarily want to go out.
Fortunately, our Food team, led by senior editor Danielle Dorsey, has some amazing recommendations for new favorites and old haunts that will fill your stomach and lift your spirits.
This month’s highlighted selections include locales from Altadena and Echo Park to Malibu and Westwood that the team feels are all worth your time.
The iconic restaurant along PCH was on the heels of reopening after the Pacific Palisades fire last February when heavy rain caused mudslides that led to flooding and extensive damage.
Fourteen months later, Duke’s Malibu is open with significant renovations and limited lunch and dinner menus featuring Hawaiian-influenced seafood staples such as crispy coconut shrimp, Korean sticky ribs and hula pie.
As the restaurant celebrates 30 years in operation, plans are underway for an anniversary party this summer.
City officials have encouraged Golden Leaf restaurant to install an expensive filter to address the pungent smell, though owners insist that none of their immediate shopping center neighbors have complained about the odor.
Supporters launched a Change.org petition last summer backing the preparation of the dish.
From married couple Omar Limon and Blanca Flores Torres, with help from Omar’s brother Arnold Limon, Hoja Blanca offers a playful take on modern Mexican food with dishes such as quesabirria tacos, esquites with cauliflower and a tetela topped with pork belly, all served alongside Bryan Jimenez’s classic cocktails.
(Stella Kalinina/For The Times)
Meymuni Cafe (Rancho Park)
As war unfolds in Iran and neighboring countries, L.A.’s Persian community has found comfort and support at restaurants such as Meymuni, a modern Persian cafe that offers free tea and cookies to diners, many of whom stop by after related protests at the nearby Federal Building.
The cafe opened in 2025 with barbari bread and lavash wrap sandwiches, tahini-date shakes and chai lattes, plus a full slate of events aimed at uplifting the local Persian community.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
NADC Burger (Westwood)
The rapidly expanding smashburger chain from Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants chef Phillip Frankland Lee has opened its first L.A. location in Westwood Village, with plans to open additional locations in the city.
The signature burger at NADC — an acronym for “not a damn chance” — features two Wagyu patties, American cheese, grilled onions, jalapeños, pickles and a house sauce, with beef tallow fries and brown butter chocolate chip cookies rounding out the short menu.
Roshona Bilash, which translates to “luxurious taste,” features Bengali classics such as bone marrow nihari, rice pilafs and meats and breads cooked in a clay oven, with plans to expand with regional specialties such as seafood dishes popular along the Bangladesh coast.
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The week’s biggest stories
(Kyra Saldana/For De Los)
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
California living
Crime, courts and policing
Entertainment and media news
What else is going on
Must reads
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For your downtime
(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)
Going out
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L.A. Affairs
Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons, a key executor of President Trump’s mass deportations agenda, will resign at the end of May, federal officials announced Thursday.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Lyons’ departure, calling him a great leader of ICE who helped to make American communities safer. Mullin said Lyons’ last day will be May 31.
“We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector,” Mullin said in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email from the Associated Press asking why he is resigning.
Lyons, who was named acting director in March 2025, led the agency at the center of President Trump’s plans to reshape immigration to the U.S.
Under his leadership, the agency was granted a massive infusion of cash through Congress, which it used to expand hiring and detention capabilities, and it ramped up arrests to meet demand from the administration.
ICE was also central to a series of high-profile immigration enforcement operations in American cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis, a deployment that ended after backlash erupted over the deaths of two American protesters at the hands of federal immigration officers.
Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff and the main architect of his immigration policy, called Lyons a “dedicated leader.”
“His courageous work at ICE has saved countless thousands of American lives and helped deliver safety and tranquility to millions of Americans,” Miller said in a statement.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described Lyons in a post on X as “an American patriot who made our country safer.”
It’s not clear who might replace Lyons. But whoever does will take over an agency flush with cash while still a flashpoint for controversy. ICE is at the center of a battle in Congress, with Democratic lawmakers demanding restraints on immigration officers before agreeing to restore routine funding for DHS.
On Thursday, Lyons, along with two other top immigration officials, appeared before a House subcommittee to argue for his agency’s budget and faced continued scrutiny from lawmakers of ICE’s actions.
Lyons’ departure also comes as DHS is under new leadership after Trump fired former Secretary Kristi Noem, who led the department through the administration’s major immigration policy changes.
Mullin, who took over as secretary last month, is likely to continue to advance the president’s agenda but has struck a softer tone on some of the administration’s most contentious policies.
Public perceptions of ICE during Lyons’ tenure were low. In a February AP-NORC poll, most U.S. adults, including independents, said they have an unfavorable view of the agency.
Lyons faced questions in Congress over the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and was asked if he would apologize for the way some Trump administration officials characterized Good as an agitator. He declined to do so.
“I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private. But I’m not going to comment on any active investigation,” Lyons said.
Lyons said he had seen video that captured Pretti’s shooting but said he could not comment, citing an active investigation.
Lyons, who joined ICE in 2007 as an immigration enforcement agent in Texas, signed off on a memo, first obtained by the Associated Press, that granted federal immigration officers sweeping powers to forcibly enter homes and make arrests without a judge’s warrant.
Trump’s border advisor Tom Homan described Lyons as serving selflessly and “a highly respected and effective acting Director of ICE.”
Goldenberg and Golden write for the Associated Press. Golden reported from Seattle.
Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype. Purists wax poetic about the days when they disappeared into three days of music and the field wasn’t overtaken by brands like Barbie and e.l.f. cosmetics. Defenders claim they can camp their way to an affordable weekend, and others spend the whole time posting. A select few even talk about great performances they saw — it’s still a music festival.
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But one thing everybody can agree on: Coachella has changed. I should know. I’ve been covering it as a journalist since 2007.
Rapid advancements in technology and mass adoption of social media have brought out the best and worst of the festival — not just on screens thousands of miles away, but to those of us trying not to trip over the makeshift photoshoot you might have seen on Instagram.
In the early years, there were no brand activations on the field; nobody knew what an influencer was and the only corporate sign you saw was for Heineken in the beer gardens. (There was no Heineken House with its own stage, just signs advertising the beer.)
The grounds were also considerably smaller, making it easier to explore the different stages and discover new music. You didn’t have fancy food options, but a slice of Spicy Pie was less than $10. (Coachella upgraded its food options from festival staples to weekend outposts of L.A. restaurants in 2014.)
The music was the draw. The festival’s track record includes artists like the Killers, the Black Keys, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar climbing up from small type to headliner on the lineup poster.
Livestreams and influencers made Coachella’s reach global
The vibes started to shift in 2010 as smartphones grew in popularity, although the service on the field was spotty. It was the first year Coachella offered a livestream — available via Facebook and MySpace. The next year, the stream moved to YouTube, where it remains and draws millions of viewers.
As Coachella expanded to twin weekends due to popular demand on the ground in 2012, it also had the first viral moment fans could enjoy from thousands of miles away: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought 2Pac back to life via a hologram.
Celebrities were always at Coachella (I spotted Ryan Seacrest, Corbin Bernsen, David Hasselhoff and Danny DeVito in my early years), but the rise of social media made celebrity culture a key part of the event. By 2011, TMZ was posting about stars like Lindsay Lohan. Clips from Coachella went viral and ended up on shows like “Tosh.0” and referenced in “Community.”
The art, which was always part of the festival, became bigger and more iconic. On the growing photo app Instagram, larger-than-life sculptures of astronauts started appearing in selfies.
Brands saw an opportunity. American Express, H&M and Samsung launched activations on-site in 2015. The party scene outside the festival, with non-affiliated events that were timed because everyone was in town for Coachella, became marketing vehicles. Brands are still cashing in more than a decade later.
The next watershed moment was Beyoncé in 2018. Today, most headlining sets at the fest feel as if they are designed for the viewing experience on the livestream rather than the fans on the field (ahem, Justin Bieber and his laptop). But Beyoncé’s spectacle was just as mind-blowing on-site as it was at home. A year later, the “Homecoming” special debuted on Netflix, widening the reach.
Coachella became a key part of the pop culture landscape, and then it became a cornerstone of the influencer economy.
Behind all the hype, there’s still a music festival hiding
I inadvertently photobombed approximately 500 people just trying to go to and from the press tent last weekend and my inbox is overflowing with requests for coverage of off-site events with brands, celebs and TikTok influencers, including social media clips.
Coachella is what you make of it. And besides, everyone knows there are fewer influencers on Weekend 2.
Today’s top stories
A health worker administers a measles test on Fernando Tarin, of Seagraves, Texas, at a mobile testing site outside Seminole Hospital District on Feb. 21, 2025.
The Automated People Mover system began construction in 2019 and was initially slated to open to the public in 2023.
Nationwide recall of a popular anxiety drug
Specific bottles of Xanax, one of the most widely prescribed medications to treat anxiety and panic disorders, has been recalled due to its failure to dissolve at a standard rate.
FDA officials are not warning against consuming the product at this time.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must-read
Another must-read
For your downtime
Reporter Deborah Vankin gets a massage by an “Aescape” robot at Pause Wellness Studio.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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A question for you: Are you planning on leaving California for another state? If so, tell us why.
Laura says, “I left California during the pandemic. Part of the push factor for me was politics, but not blue politics. I had been living in OC since 2018 and was surprised it was so Conservative (and conservative). That became a bigger source of discomfort for me as the vaccine question demonstrated how our neighbors’ decisions can impact us directly. Rather than moving elsewhere in California, which would have sorted out the political discomfort nicely, I moved to a much more affordable state where I had family.”
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
In summer, it’s too hot. And in rain, the muddy dirt roads threaten to swallow your car.
But if you can hit Carrizo Plain National Monument on a spring day when the hills and grasslands are green and a few wildflowers remain in the meadows — well, you’re winning. And you’ll be seeing a lonely, raw corner of California that few people ever find.
The monument is about 38 miles long and 17 miles wide — hard to miss, you’d think. But it lies along the San Andreas fault in the usually dry hills between Bakersfield and Santa Maria, far from Interstate 5 or U.S. 101, about 170 driving miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Signs warn motorists what’s ahead in Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Within the monument, most of the roads are gravel or dirt, and there is no drinkable water, no food, no gas and spotty cellphone coverage. The education center and two semi-primitive campgrounds feature vault toilets.
It’s almost perfect, in other words, for repelling crowds. Yet it’s pretty good as the centerpiece of an overnight road trip probing small towns and back roads of the western San Joaquin Valley and eastern San Luis Obispo County.
If you happen to arrive Friday, Carrizo staffers and volunteers will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the monument, which was created from former ranch land under President Clinton. (Free tours and refreshments will be offered at the event, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Guy L. Goodwin Education Center.) But next week might be greener, because rain on the plain is probable Saturday and Sunday.
For many visitors, Carrizo’s big draw is wildflowers. The grasslands and hillsides act as a vast, uncluttered canvas for their colors, which typically bloom in March and last through April. But every year is different, especially in this era of climate change. This year, after unusually heavy rains in February, Carrizo Plain erupted in a dramatic bloom in March, attracting several hundred visitors per day.
In Carrizo Plain National Monument on a spring day, the hills and grasslands were green and a few wildflowers remained in the meadows.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
By the time my wife and I arrived in the first days of April, the flowers were past their peak, but the hills were still green and many meadows popped with yellow, purple and blue. If I’m reading my wildflowers handbook right, these were tidy tips, Goldfields, Owl’s Clover, thistle sage, Valley Larkspur, coreopsis, phacelia and hillside daisies.
Meanwhile, the 3,000-acre Soda Lake, which lies dusty, crusty, dry and white in summer, still had some water in it. Imagine the salty lake beds of Mono Lake, the Salton Sea or Death Valley’s Badwater, but surrounded by green hills. It was startling — the opposite of an oasis in the desert.
To get there, we drove north on I-5 into the San Joaquin Valley, then veered west by way of State Routes 166, 33 and 58, pausing for gas at Maricopa (population: 984).
Within the monument, we rambled along Soda Lake Road, admiring windmills, an old ranch house now reserved for bats, and a few hills dotted with lazy cows. (The monument is run by the Bureau of Land Management, which allows grazing.)
Looking a little bit more closely, you realize that the monument is all but torn in two by the San Andreas fault. On Elkhorn Road, you remember that those mountains to the east (the Temblor Range) are slowly lurching to the southeast. Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way. The “offset” is growing by about 1.5 inches per year — at least, until the next big quake.
A lone visitor stands at the edge of Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
Slowly rolling through this scene, we spotted two critters scurrying along the roadside — fist-size creatures hopping on their back legs. These were probably giant kangaroo rats, a native species whose numbers have been growing since their listing as an endangered species in 1987.
We didn’t spot any blunt-nosed leopard lizards or San Joaquin Valley kit foxes (which eat giant kangaroo rats) but those species, too, are endangered and native to the area. Pronghorn antelope and Tule elk are out there, too, the experts say, along with California condors soaring overhead. We just saw crows, loitering on fence posts.
The Goodwin Education Center, the monument’s main gathering spot, is open Thursdays through Sundays, December through May. We looked at maps, got advice on where to go next and ate our sack lunches at a picnic table, marveling at those green slopes.
A San Joaquin kit fox is displayed at the Goodwin Education Center within Carrizo Plain National Monument.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
In this long valley, scientists have found signs of Native campsites up to 10,000 years old — a hint of how much wetter this area once was. Not far from the education center is a short hike to Painted Rock, a protected site that includes Native pictographs on a horseshoe-shaped sandstone formation. The red, black and white images go back 100-4,000 years. (We didn’t see them. From March through May, visitors can see the pictographs only on Saturday guided tours. From July 16 through February, visitors can book self-guided tours.)
After lunch we nosed around nearby Soda Lake, exited the north end of the monument, joined State Route 58 and headed west over a series of whoop-de-doos — those rises and falls in the road that will help you defy gravity, if you take them fast enough.
One of them, I realize now, was the San Andreas fault itself.
Through all of this, we saw no more than 15 or 20 people, cars included. Continuing from State Route 58, we joined State Route 41, watched oak trees and vineyards pop up and multiply, continued into Paso Robles and spent the night.
On the return trip we lingered for an hour or two in Santa Margarita (population: 1,149), checking out the Porch Cafe, the Barn (antiques) and the Giddy Up vintage goods and gift shop, which operates in a blue Quonset structure known as the Rainbow Hut.
Holli Rae owns and runs the Giddy Up vintage goods and gift shop on El Camino Real in Santa Margarita.
(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)
“It’s just a sweet little town. So quiet,” said Holli Rae, a filmmaker and former Angeleno who opened the Giddy Up about two years ago. She moved north, she said, for “the nature, the animals, the deer, the birds. The creatures!”
Thanks to U.S. 101, we were home and grateful within three and a half hours.
Soon, we knew, summer will come and fry the Carrizo Plain until everything green is brown. Beginning June 1, in fact, the Goodwin Education Center will close for six months.
For a few more weeks, Angelenos, your window of opportunity is open.
If you go
Where to explore: Check out the Carrizo Plain National Monument website or call the visitor center at (661) 391-6191. The recorded information line is (661) 391-6193. Also check the weather; most roads in the monument are dirt or gravel and can become impassable in rain.
Where to sleep: Adelaide Inn, 1215 Ysabel Ave., Paso Robles; (805) 238-2770. This hotel, located near 24th Street and U.S. 101, includes a pool and children’s play area. Rates start at about $100.
River Lodge, 1955 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles; (805) 221-7377. This hotel, born as a motel in 1947, was reborn as a boutique property in 2024. It has 28 rooms, a patio restaurant (Ciao Papi) and an adult-only pool. It stands alongside U.S. 101, about 3 miles south of downtown Paso. Midweek rates often start at $149, often doubling on weekends.
Melody Ranch Motel, 939 Spring St., Paso Robles; (805) 238-3911. This is a throwback 1950s motel with a swimming pool, open May through September. From the start, it has had 19 rooms and a prime spot on Spring Street, the main artery of Paso Robles. Rates start at about $100. Most reservations are taken by phone, in person or through Expedia.
Where to eat: Joe’s Place, 205 Spring St., Paso Robles; (805) 238-5637. Since 1995, this breakfast-and-lunch spot has been a local favorite for casual family meals.
The Porch Cafe, 22322 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita; (805) 438-3376. This all-day cafe (with beer and wine) stands along the main drag in sleepy little Santa Margarita.
