Jeanette Marantos

“Alligator Alcatraz” will begin operations on Wednesday.

This is your reminder that a prison without due process is a concentration camp.

“From the depths” by William Balfour-Ker. A lavish party of the wealth is interrupted by an upraised fist breaking through their dance floor; underneath we can see the entire party venue is built on the shoulders of the marginalized and lower classes.

“From The Depths,” William Balfour Ker

Gardeners on ICE raids: 'People are afraid, but they still have to work' As ICE raids continue in Southern California neighborhoods, some undocumented gardeners still work even as they worry about being deported. Citizens in the trade also fear getting mistakenly swept up ...

Immigration raids are worrying Southern California’s undocumented gardeners, the workers so prevalent in suburban neighborhoods that the sound of weed whackers and leaf blowers can feel like ambient noise.

By @jmarantosplants.bsky.social
www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...

How neighbors got goats to clear a fire-prone hill up ‘absolutely bonkers’ roads Mount Washington neighbors came together to hire goats to clear their steep hillside. Whether they can do it again depends on more of them getting involved.

How neighbors got goats to clear a fire-prone hill up ‘absolutely bonkers’ roads www.latimes.com/lifestyle/ne... via @jmarantosplants.bsky.social

World's largest wildlife crossing reaches critical milestone. Now what? After three years of construction, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is finally getting soil, but it's still nearly two years away from welcoming wildlife.

Great pictures of the first soil being laid on the world's largest wildlife crossing, over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. @jmarantosplants.bsky.social explains what comes next: www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...

What trees survived in our terrible fires? And why didn't they burn? Stark aerial photos of the Eaton and Palisades fires show blocks of ash where houses used to be, and a surprising number of green trees. Why? Plus February plant events.

My February LA Times Plants newsletter. www.latimes.com/lifestyle/ne...

Boiling won't help. Explaining the Palisades and Altadena 'Do Not Use' water alerts Why are there water advisories related to neighborhoods burned by the Palisades and Eaton fire? Here's a guide to understanding the toxic world of urban wildfires and contaminated water.

Why are some L.A.-area water providers telling customers not to use their water? Good explanation of the contamination risks post-fire, and what state regulations require: www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st... via @jmarantosplants.bsky.social

California has sweeping new rules for home insurance. What to know California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has approved regulations that next year will let insurers use complex computer programs that predict future risk in setting rates.

California has sweeping new rules for home insurance. This is what you need to know.

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

'A necessary evil': The captive dogs whose blood saves lives California vowed to shut down colonies where hundreds of captive dogs supply blood for veterinary care. But blood from the closed colonies is still crucial for saving lives.

‘A necessary evil': An in-depth look at the hundreds of full-time donor dogs and cats kept in closed colonies in California whose blood is used to save the lives of pets

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Here’s a 3-fer plant for the garden: African blue basil provides beautiful flowers for bouquets, delicious basil for my sauces and happiness to SoCal honey bees, even in December!

Disney agrees to $233-million settlement in wage theft case Current and former Disney workers can expect back pay with interest sometime next year after a five-year-long court battle concludes with a historic settlement.

Five years after workers first took Disneyland to court for allegedly skirting an Anaheim minimum wage law, resort owner Walt Disney Co. has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $233 million.

In the dust of the Coachella Valley, residents push for a park along the shrinking Salton Sea In this sweltering desert where residents have limited access to parks, community advocates are calling for the Salton Sea to once more become a vibrant destination where families can gather in nature...

Low-income, Latino desert dwellers sick of inhaling harmful dust from the Salton Sea's drying lakebed want to see state officials turn a shoreline park into a truly vibrant green space: www.latimes.com/california/s... via @rebeccaplevin.bsky.social

El Segundo still stinks. Why can't L.A. fix the problem three years after huge sewage spill? Three years after a raw sewage spill, residents living near L.A.'s Hyperion wastewater plant say they are still dealing with foul odors and health issues.

Three years after a raw sewage spill, residents living near L.A.’s Hyperion wastewater plant say they are still dealing with foul odors and health issues.

Tech billionaires Zuckerberg, Bezos and Altman help bankroll Trump's inauguration. What to know Meta, Amazon and OpenAI's CEOs are each directing $1-million donations to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund. Here's what to know.

Tech executives are opening up their wallets as Trump and Republicans look at reshaping policies that impact social media, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and more.

What is spondylolisthesis, the back condition that derailed Luigi Mangione's life? Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, struggled with spondylolisthesis before receiving surgery.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, struggled with spondylolisthesis before receiving surgery.

What is the condition?

Lassie has one. So do Kermit and Godzilla. Why can't P-22 have a star in Hollywood? L.A.'s P-22 is one of the most famous felines in the world. Should he get a star like Lassie, Big Bird and Batman?

Meanwhile, efforts to secure a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the L.A. area's most famous mountain lion, the late P-22, have thus far fallen short: www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st... via @jmarantosplants.bsky.social

YouTube video by Coldplay Coldplay - ALL MY LOVE (Official Video) (Directors' Cut)

Wasn’t sure I ever needed a collaboration between Coldplay, Spike Jonze, and Dick Van Dyke until I stumbled upon it and my heart nearly burst. Enjoy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4Ol...

14 things to do during a weekend in Ventura, SoCal's last truly chill beach town Our guide to Ventura offers expert tips about great bakeries, thrifting, viewsy hikes and sunset strolls.

www.latimes.com/lifestyle/li...

Just another 66-degree December day in Ventura…. and me , counting my blessings that I get to live here.

Tsunami warning canceled after 7.0 earthquake hits Northern California The earthquake occurred at 10:44 a.m. with an epicenter under the Pacific Ocean, about 70 miles southwest of Eureka and 110 miles northwest of Mendocino.

A tsunami warning for a large swath of the Northern California coast was canceled following a magnitude 7 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday.

The warning was in effect for roughly an hour, prompting officials in some areas to order evacuations along the coastline.

They planned a simple day hike in Yosemite. Then they got lost in the snow A Long Beach couple wanted to visit Lukens Lake, but a sudden shift in weather left them stranded with no overnight gear.

for those of you on bluesky who are unfamiliar, our new series "between a rock" shares survival stories from the wild west. this month's is about a pair of hikers in yosemite who thought they were going for a quick stroll around the lake. then the weather changed www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...

I got a butt massage by an AI robot in L.A. Here’s how it went The AI-powered massage robot will open to the public in L.A. on Friday. It scans your body to deliver a precise, if impersonal, spa service.

There's an AI-powered massage robot in L.A. now, because of course there is.

(For the record, it was in New York first.) 🤖

The young star cluster NGC 602, by JWST.

There is such beauty in the Universe.

Re-creating a family tradition, one walnut at a time A writer tries to re-create a traditional Italian walnut-based liqueur made by her great-grandfather and makes connections to her family and culture.

So much to savor in this story by @corinnepurtill.bsky.social: The voice, the pacing, the humor, the image of hands stained green. Also the repetition of the process: the concoction turns black as it steeps in the sun, and then they haul the jug down from the roof. www.latimes.com/food/story/2...

Likely my last tomato harvest for 2024, and some have barely turned color but not a bad haul for Dec. 4. Now I can make sauce for my lasagna!

A silhouette of a Joshua Tree in the left half of the shot with Venus in the middle and some dessert plants silhouetted to the right. There is some yellow on the horizon with the sky fading to dark blue. Faint stars are visible.

Sunset at Joshua Tree National Park. The silhouette of a Joshua Tree is unmistakable and I love the smaller desert plants too.
#ArtAdventCalendar

Two new wolf packs confirmed in California amid population boom Two new wolf packs were confirmed by wildlife officials this month, and explosive population growth could be around the corner.

California's gray wolf comeback continues. There are now nine confirmed packs in the Golden State — up from one just four years ago, @lilaseidman.bsky.social reports for @latimes.com: www.latimes.com/environment/...

Inside the Plastic Industry’s Battle to Win Over Hearts and Minds Documents leaked from an industry group show how plastics companies are pushing back against a “tide of anti-plastic sentiment.”

Newly revealed documents show that plastics companies are paying influencers, including Dennis Quaid, to convince unsuspecting social media users and TV viewers that because their products are totally recyclable, we've got nothing to worry about: www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/c...

The Mountain fire torched his nursery and avocados, but it didn’t kill his irises or spirit

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it's business as usual in California dairy country New research and discussions with dairy farmers in the Central Valley suggests H5N1 bird flu is more widespread among people than the reported numbers indicate.

"It's an illness that they know the cows have, and many cows have died but the boss cared about the cows, not the workers," Ibanez told the Times. "They never told them they have to go to the doctor to get a check-up."

www.latimes.com/environment/...