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Some 31,000 nurses and healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente will begin an open-ended strike in California and Hawaii on Monday.The health system and the union representing Kaiser workers — United Nurses Associations of California & the Union of Health Care Professionals — have been negotiating for a new labor contract since the end of September.
Some 31,000 nurses, pharmacists and healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente will begin an open-ended strike tomorrow in California and Hawaii. The health system and the union representing Kaiser workers — United Nurses Associations of California & the Union of Health Care Professionals — have been negotiating for a new labor contract since the end of September. Core bargaining issues include wages for nurses, understaffing, and retirement benefits. Picketing is slated to begin at 12 local Kaiser medical facilities in the following communities: Anaheim, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Ontario, Riverside, Harbor City, Panorama City, West Los Angeles and Woodland Hills. Kaiser said in a statement that their hospitals and medical offices will stay open during the strikes, but some pharmacies will close.Monterey Park residents have been turning out in force to oppose a proposed data center, pressuring city leaders to go beyond a temporary moratorium on the facilities and consider banning data centers altogether.Data centers are rapidly spreading across L.A. County, and beyond. The response of residents in Monterey Park shows how people outside of City Hall can influence whether that growth happens.The project had been moving through City Hall for about two years before many residents learned about it in recent weeks and months, sparking a grassroots campaign that has quickly built momentum.During the 45-day moratorium, city staff will draft an ordinance that would ban data centers outright if approved by the City Council. Meanwhile the developer says it will plan outreach to residents.Billions of dollars are pouring into data centers to power streaming services, cloud storage and the biggest energy monster of all, artificial intelligence., from El Segundo to downtown L.A. But in Monterey Park, residents concerned about the environmental and health impacts of data centers are drawing a line. A developer has proposed building a nearly 250,000-square-foot data center in a local business park. Last Wednesday night, hundreds of people packed City Hall to say they didn’t want it – or for that matter, any such facility.What they got, in a meeting that stretched past midnight, was the council’s commitment to draft an outright ban during the 45-day period for a later vote. “That is more than I ever could have hoped for from this meeting,” resident Steven J. Kung said. “I am shocked and a little bit overjoyed.”He expressed little faith in city officials, especially after learning that the project had been moving through the city’s planning process for about two years without his knowledge. Kung said he only found out about the proposal from the Australian-based developer when his husband showed him a social media post by“I was incensed that no one had told me, especially since I lived so close,” he said., has said its proposed data center on 1977 Saturn Street would generate more than $5 million a year in tax revenue and more than 200 jobs during construction. It’s also promised to build a public park. But residents said that’s not worth the tradeoff of the massive energy demand of data centers, pollution from diesel backup generators and noise from cooling equipment. The developer counters that the generators will be strictly regulated, a “closed-loop cooling technology” will use water efficiently and noise will be “similar to a typical commercial area,” according to a handout shared with residents at Wednesday’s meeting. Monterey Park City Hall was packed to capacity as people waited to testify in opposition to a proposed data center.Kung and others say an EIR is the least the developer should do. They say they’re also troubled by the decision to locate a data center in a city of roughly 60,000 people, “They see a small city full of Asians and Latinos, and they don’t think we’ll fight back,” Kung said. “But they’re wrong.”Among them was Alex Leon, a mathematician who attended with his wife, a phlebotomist, and their two young daughters. “This has kind of been our dream, living in Monterey Park,” Leon said. “I just don’t want it to turn into an industrial farm for big data.”Like dozens of others, Leon wasn’t there just to watch but wanted council members to listen. When his turn came to give comment, he met the eyes of the council members. “Monterey Park should be built for people, not machines,” he said. “For families, not server racks. For community life, not industrial infrastructure. This is our home, and it’s worth defending.”A handful of speakers supported the project, including a representative for the developer. Laziza Lambert pivoted at the podium to face the crowd. “We just really want to be good, long-term partners with the community and hope to have open and honest conversations,” she said, as some in the audience started to jeer. Residents voiced concerns that once one data center is approved, the floodgates would open, noting that the developer owns another parcel on the same street. But much of the anger that night was aimed at city leaders. Speaker after speaker said they had been kept in the dark.Katherine Torres, a real estate agent and president of the Monterey Park Women’s Club, said the women’s club is apolitical but she would be sure to tell the members. “I swear, I’m going to spread the word about the data center because they need to know,” she said as the room erupted in applause.By the fifth hour, nearly 80 residents had spoken. Then it was the council’s turn to give comments before their vote on the 45-day moratorium. Two members said they supported going beyond a temporary pause and considering a permanent ban. Jose Sanchez’s opposition to data centers was already known to those closely following the issue. But Elizabeth Yang’s was not.“I’m not going to vote for something that’s going to hurt my own family,” she said.“Because of all of you feeding us good information, I’m siding with no data center,” Yang said.The council unanimously approved the 45-day moratorium during which city staff will draft an ordinance that could ban data centers outright — a proposal that will return to the council for a vote. Outside council chambers, Steven J. Kung praised his fellow residents for speaking out and pushing the council to think bigger. “I’m so proud of Monterey Park and our residents,” he said. “The more I’m here, the more I fall in love with the people.” He’d celebrate that night. But then it’d be back to work, making sure the ban stands and Monterey Park keeps data centers out for good. The developer would not be sitting back either. Lambert, the representative for the developer, said they were moving forward with plans to host a town hall with residents in the next couple of weeks.Have you checked the weather on social lately? The weather genre online spans a wide range of sources — from amateurs with no science background to accredited meteorologists.Experts say that while weather influencers can help fill an information gap, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X tend to prioritize engagement and likes over accuracy."It's as if he's sitting in the living room with you tracking the storm," said Bryson, a 21-year-old meteorology student at the University of Tennessee at Martin., calls himself a"digital meteorologist" and"The Internet's Weather Man." His YouTube channel has over 3 million subscribers. Hall did not respond to a request to comment about his platform. Hall is part of an increasingly popular genre of social media weather accounts that share information leading up to extreme weather, and then livestream for their viewers, sometimes for hours at a time. Overall, Hall offers solid information and is a good communicator with a few technical omissions, experts told NPR. But the weather genre online spans a wide range of sources — from amateurs with no science background to accredited meteorologists. Experts say that while weather influencers can help fill an information gap, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X tend to prioritize engagement and likes over accuracy. That means extreme weather updates on social media are often sensationalized or lack context,"They're not going to the National Weather Service web page, they're just looking at what's in their feed," Lackmann said."Once you start clicking on viral extreme weather stuff, then the algorithm is going to just feed you more and more."Lackmann, who is also head of NC State's department of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, said in 2024 during Hurricane Helene, aHe says that, in the face of extreme weather events, people need credible and authoritative sources such as the NWS. But with social media, sometimes"you get some kid who wants to get a lot of shares and likes and be an influencer on social media," he said. Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist for the weather app MyRadar, has personal experience with both worlds. He worked for years at the, Instagram, and X shows how rapidly people are shifting from getting their weather information from traditional news outlets versus social media. "Within two months, I was able to reach 60 million-plus people on social media, just on Facebook," Cappucci said Bryson, the 21-year-old, said Hall and other credible weather influencers use language that non-meteorologists understand and they can share information at any time of the day. "The fact that it's available at your fingertips," Bryson said."I could go to Ryan Hall at 4 p.m. I'm eating my dinner and get the information that I need."There are positives to having meteorologists and credible weather sources on social media, Lackmann said. He's seen local weather influencers in North Carolina help disperse information from official outlets. "There's a real need for that kind of localization and personalization of weather information," Lackmann said. Aaron Scott, an assistant professor of meteorology at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said digital meteorology, a relatively new certification program that"People do trust them, and they have built rapport," Scott said."Sometimes that can make the difference if someone's going to actually go take shelter from a tornado or not." Scott's department at UT Martin is now offering a digital meteorology class dedicated to teaching students how to engage with an online audience. Cappucci also sees the positives with his own content. Social media allows for more flexibility than on-air television, he said. He pushes back on climate misinformation or weather conspiracy theorists.But all three experts interviewed by NPR see the downsides in the way social media algorithms push the most sensationalized — not always the most accurate — information to the forefront. "The brightest colors, the most outlandish information will always get more following than actual truthful information," Cappucci said. Cappucci said the ability to make increasing amounts of money on social media can also lead to inaccurate weather information. "As TV viewership wanes and as salaries come down, it's easier to make up that money by posting crazy stuff online," Cappucci said. Meteorologists use a number of different numerical models as they predict the possible outcomes of an extreme weather event. Because of this, people can"cherry-pick" one model and sensationalize a forecast, Lackmann said. "You cry wolf too often, and people won't take proper precautions when there really is a high probability of an extreme event," Lackmann said.Meteorologists and other weather professionals are grappling with how to navigate the new media landscape and prioritize accurate information, the experts said. NWS has increased its social media presence, Lackmann said. Experts at the American Meteorological Society have discussed a social media certification that extends beyond the digital media certification currently available. Scott said how the field will grapple with social media, and now AI-generated media, is"a huge question mark." "That's the million-dollar question," Scott said."How do we make it? Do we have some type of badging system where you're certified, you're not? Then, who decides that?"If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.The Los Angeles Tool Library will operate out of the Presbyterian Church in Koreatown for anyone to rent power tools, ladders and other items.Starting Saturday, the Los Angeles Tool Library will officially open. In this volunteer-run lending library, community members can borrow tools instead of purchasing new ones.The idea began two summers ago, when founding member Chih-Wei Hsu was trying to build benches with friends and realized they didn’t have the right tools. After researching tool libraries around the country, Hsu learned that while they’re common elsewhere, there were none in his neighborhood.The model is simple: Residents can sign up for a membership online or in person, browse available tools online or in-person and check them out for up to 10 days and renew once if no one else has reserved them. Borrowers are asked to bring an ID and proof of address, similar to a traditional library.Housed in the basement of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown is a small room filled with ladders, drills, saws and other tools that many renters don’t have space – or reason – to own. Starting Saturday, that room will officially open as the Los Angeles Tool Library. In this volunteer-run lending library, community members can borrow tools instead of purchasing new ones. The idea began two summers ago, when founding member Chih-Wei Hsu was trying to build benches with friends and realized they didn’t have the right tools. After researching tool libraries around the country, Hsu learned that while they’re common elsewhere, there were none in his neighborhood. “I feel like one of the biggest ways this can help people is – especially for a lot of people that are only wanting to build, say a shelf or a bench – it doesn’t make sense to go out and buy something that costs you $100, $200 just to do this one cut for this one project,” Hsu said. The model is simple: Residents can sign up for a membership online or in person, browse available tools online or in-person and check them out for up to 10 days and renew once if no one else has reserved them. Borrowers are asked to bring an ID and proof of address, similar to a traditional library. The library will operate Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with plans to expand hours as more volunteers join. “Instead of buying one thing and letting it sit on a shelf forever, we’d be able to share resources,” Hsu said. “A lot of people live in apartments or smaller spaces. Not everyone has a garage. A ladder is very useful to change a lightbulb, but not everyone has space to store a six-foot ladder.” The library is designed with renters in mind, particularly in central Los Angeles. Hsu said the project is meant to be accessible and affordable, with monthly membership costs of $10 to $20 and with slight discounts for annual sign-ups. The library also offers volunteer opportunities in exchange for membership. The library does not yet offer bilingual services, though Hsu said organizers are working to recruit Spanish-speaking volunteers. Finding a space that is affordable was a major hurdle, but Hsu eventually secured a basement space at Immanuel Presbyterian Church. The library has raised about $4,000 through donations and a founding membership drive, with much of its inventory coming from individual donors and in-kind contributions from the Makers Hub, a tool library in Compton. “Everyone who’s working right now is a volunteer,” Hsu said. “If we scale up enough, we can look into hiring people, but the idea was always for this to be volunteer-driven.” Beyond tool lending, organizers hope the space can serve as a community hub, hosting gatherings like book clubs or skill-sharing events.Hidden along one of LA’s most iconic — and often gridlocked — boulevards, Pico-Union’s art scene is having a moment.The neighborhood has a rich history, from its days as an upper-class suburb to its current role as a major destination for immigrants. But Pico-Union doesn’t get enough credit for its numerous creative spaces, making it an under-the-radar spot for art lovers and practicing artists. And all of it is happening on its slice of Venice Boulevard.Hidden along one of LA’s most iconic — and often gridlocked — boulevards, Pico-Union’s art scene is having a moment.Located west of Downtown LA, Pico-Union has the distinction of being a part of the original El Pueblo de Los AngelesThe neighborhood has a rich history, from its days as an upper-class suburb to its current role as a major destination for immigrants.But Pico-Union doesn’t get enough credit for its numerous creative spaces, making it an under-the-radar spot for art lovers and practicing artists. And all of it is happening on its slice of Venice Boulevard. The 13-mile road also has a long history as one of LA’s most famous streets. It began as West 16th Street in 1896, when a streetcar could take riders to the ocean. By 1950, when the railcars disappeared, Venice Boulevard was more than just a major thoroughfare. It became part of LA’s identity — a vibrant, pulsating corridor that acts as a crossroads of ideas, history, and raw creative energy. The street begins at the bohemian, stylish storefronts of Abbot Kinney in Venice and cuts an unapologetic path all the way to the dense, commercial commotion of Downtown Los Angeles. This vast stretch is a living testament to the city’s rich tapestry, evidenced by the eclectic mix of locally-owned businesses, the deep roots of numerous cultures and the explosion of vibrant, meaningful murals that adorn its walls. In the heart of the city, where Venice Boulevard slices through the neighborhood of Pico-Union, the artistic spirit of Los Angeles finds a particularly resilient home. Along this single, vital street, one can discover the places and people that are actively ensuring the neighborhood’s powerful, creative legacy continues to thrive.A modern art gallery in a nondescript building on Venice Boulevard, as-is starkly contrasts with its mostly working-class surroundings. It offers a quiet escape from Pico-Union’s busy streets, making it a hidden gem for visitors.“The gallery has an interest in regionalism — Los Angeles in general — but also a kind of hyper-localism,” the gallery’s director Tom Jimmerson told The LA Local. “Things that have happened just a few blocks from here, maybe in the 1970s or 1980s, have ended up becoming a kind of time capsule.” Pico-Union has had its ups and downs over the last century from being a streetcar suburb to an area impacted by freeway construction and periods ofAnd while the neighborhood represents far more than just art, it’s places like as-is that preserve its uniquely artistic history, and may even serve as a signpost for Pico-Union’s future. “We kind of operate as a reminder that this neighborhood has had different kinds of functions and different kinds of associations over the years,” Jimmerson explained. “Art had been one, and will be one again, no doubt.”Putting a paintbrush to a canvas may seem like a daunting task for those who think they don’t have a creative bone in their body. But Demi Lauren Studios proves that the barrier to becoming an artist is thinner than most people realize. It can also be a bit more fun. Here, clients can learn how to paint from experienced mentors while listening to music, sipping on an alcoholic drink, and even smoking. “It’s a vibe! It’s colorful, you get to relax, it’s very welcoming, and you can just have a good time,” Demi told The LA Local.“But it’s easier than it looks!” he said excitedly. “Some people are totally shocked when they’re able to create something.” Many people credit Demi’s instruction style. “I just try and break it down into shapes and familiar objects so they can make a masterpiece,” he explains.Graffiti is sometimes linked to mischief and illegal activity rather than a form of high art. But the Graff Lab takes the craft seriously, providing a large outdoor area where artists of all ages can express themselves without the fear of being arrested.“It was created out of the need for there to be an arts space in the community,” he told The LA Local. In addition to graffiti arts instruction, the Graff Lab also hosts numerous cultural events, along with other arts and athletics educational programs. This urban sanctuary offers artists, especially youth, a safe and supportive place to build creative skills while navigating the challenges many face outside its doors. “A lot of the kids that hang out here and do their art,” Guerrero explained. “They tell me themselves that if it weren’t for this place that they’d probably be in a gang or dead. It’s a very rough community.”
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