A court ruling Friday orders a halt to a chaotic and relentless 36-day immigration crackdown that’s upended life across Southern California.

Community members are rallying around a young Southern California lifeguard who suffered a serious spinal cord injury while on duty. Isaiah Osorio, 20, is an Orange County native and All-Star athlete who also works as a Junior Lifeguard instructor in Seal Beach.

Longtime LAist correspondent, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, has reported on local stories for decades, traveling and meeting people throughout the region. He says L.A. is made up of history, the elements, construction and pain. That’s the ink used in this new collection of poetry and prose, California Southern: writing from the road, 1992-2025.