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A new Long Beach-themed Monopoly game turns local landmarks into playable spaces on the board. The game is part of a recent wave of city-specific editions that has the iconic game connecting with communities through nostalgia and local pride.
To be featured, a city has to have enough people excited enough to support the production of thousands of games.Top Trumps has expanded U.S. city editions in recent years as interest in board games has resurged after the pandemic. A company representative said that Long Beach, with its strong sense of community and recognizable landmarks, fit the model.Monopoly lovers can now buy up the Queen Mary, collect rent on Belmont Shore and park their token at a storied tattoo shop, Outer Limits. The Long Beach landmarks line the spaces of a new Monopoly edition themed around L.A. County’s second biggest city, released just this month. The Long Beach edition is part of an expanding series of Monopoly games featuring dozens of American cities, which Hasbro licenseeHow does a city land on one of the world's most popular board games? Turns out, it’s not just a roll of the dice. “We’re looking for places with strong community pride, places where people will really love seeing their city on a Monopoly board,” said Jennifer Tripsea, a partnership sales executive with Top Trumps. Long Beach fit the bill and got to join a list of SoCal cities on Monopoly boards including Huntington Beach, Riverside and Palm Springs. Tripsea said in some instances, a city will pitch themselves to the company — she didn’t disclose which have — but not every place makes the cut.Top Trumps sells the games online and through local businesses, sometimes the same ones featured on the board. That creates a built-in customer base: residents, tourists and collectors hunting for their next addition. And while some businesses may offer to sponsor their way into consideration, their inclusion isn’t a given.That means emailing suggested landmarks and drafting potential Chance and Community Chest cards. For Long Beach, one Community Chest card directs players to collect $100 if they"attend a beach cleanup at Alamitos Beach." Hundreds of submissions flooded in over the last year, many pointing to the same top attractions, Tripsea said. The Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific take up the same spots on the board that are occupied by Park Place and Boardwalk in the original game. The arts nonprofit was “surprised and excited” to hear from Top Trumps last year that they were being included in a version all about Long Beach, said interim executive director Lisa DeSmidt. “I describe Long Beach as a big city that's run like a small town, and that everybody kind of knows each other to some degree,” DeSmidt said. “Long Beach has a sense of community in that Long Beach takes care of Long Beach people.”An intern for the arts council, Peyton Smith, designed its space on the board, featuring small, intricate renderings of landmarks like the Long Beach Airport and the pyramid arena at Cal State Long Beach. For DeSmidt, the game serves as a kind of cultural snapshot highlighting the city’s mix of arts, neighborhoods and institutions. It’s reminiscent of the council’s own project mapping the city’s cultural assets.was also invited to be part of the game, where it now appears next to VIP Records on the board. Recognized as the country’s oldest continuously working tattoo shop, Outer Limits’ history dates back to 1927, when it opened in the waterfront amusement district known as The Pike, now home to the Pike Outlets. Outer Limits' general manager Matt Hand said once word got out that the shop was stocking the game, customers started showing up just to buy it. “It’s just a cool thing,” Hand said. “Especially when it’s like, ‘The business where I get tattooed’ is on the board.” A big reason Hand thinks these editions are catching on is nostalgia. Seeing your own city in a board game that you played as a kid — and may be now playing with your own kids — is thrilling.explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.You might have noticed a little more purple on your commute in Los Angeles recently. Turns out the jacarandas are putting on their annual show of blooms a little early this year.You might have noticed a little more purple on your commute in Los Angeles recently. Turns out the jacarandas are putting on their annual show of blooms a little early this year.“They got the clear sign: ‘It’s over 90 , it’s hot out. Even though you weren’t quite prepared, it’s time to put out some flowers,'” Loral Hall, community forestry senior program manager at environmental nonprofit Hall said not only do jacarandas grace us every year with thick canopies and carpets of purple, they’re relatively drought tolerant, pest resistant and able to grow in urban areas . “They’re attention-grabbers here in Southern California,” said Hall, who grew up in Hollywood and has childhood memories of playing with the fallen purple blooms at a local park. “In a place where we don’t have really obvious seasons, are a sign that warmer weather is on the way.” Hall also shared a lesser-known fact about jacarandas: There’s a white cultivar, too. The white version is much more rare in L.A., though with some of the trees rumored to be in a non-public area of the L.A. County Arboretum, Hall said.when the jacaranda first arrived in our area, we do know they were brought to Southern California in the late 19th century and proliferatedThe number of immigrants who have died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has reached an all-time high this fiscal year.Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, the start of the federal government's fiscal year, already surpassing 2004's toll of 28, the previous record, according to government data. There are about 60,000 people currently in immigration detention.Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, Calif., and The number of immigrants who have died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has reached an all-time high this fiscal year. Twenty-nine people have died in ICE custody since October, the start of the federal government's fiscal year, already surpassing 2004's toll of 28, the previous record, according to government data.on the evening of April 16, Carbonell-Betancourt was found unresponsive in his cell on the morning of April 12. The report lists the cause of death as a"presumed suicide," but the official cause remains under investigation. The report said Carbonell-Betancourt entered the United States in 2024 without valid documents and later released into the U.S. via a program known as parole, which allows noncitizens to enter the country without a formal visa, often for humanitarian reasons. He was arrested for resisting an officer with violence in 2025, and then transferred into ICE custody earlier this year, according to the ICE release. The rise in deaths comes as detention numbers have skyrocketed during the Trump administration. Detentions are up more than 70% under President Donald Trump compared to the first year of the Biden administration. The Trump administration has carried out an unprecedented crackdown on immigration. Immigration officers have arrested and detained criminals in the country illegally, as well as many people without a criminal record and some migrants who are in the country with temporary protections from deportation. In a statement to NPR, DHS denied there's been a spike in deaths and attributed the increase to the large number of people in detention. DHS said as of April 16,"death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.009% of the detained population.""For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives," the statement said. The statement went on to encourage detainees to self-deport."Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App," the statement said.also on Thursday, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said there are a high number of deaths this fiscal year"because we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003." Lyons added that the agency spent"almost half a billion dollars last fiscal year … to ensure that people have proper care." He reiterated details noted by other DHS officials: that detainees get a complete physical within 14 days and are seen by a medical professional within 24 hours of being admitted. "No death is what we want. We don't want anyone to die in custody," Lyons, who handed in his resignationWhen asked how many people were still working in the Office of Detention Oversight, he was not able to provide a number. Lyons was also asked about the delay in public reporting and tracking detainee deaths. On April 13, Georgia Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock sent a letter to Lyons and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin raising concern over the rising number of detainee deaths and noted that of the 49 deaths in custody at the time since January 2025,"ICE has issued an interim death notice within 48 hours in only 15 cases" and argued that reports contained less details. "We are reporting. We are working on that timeline," Lyons said during the House hearing, agreeing that the detainee death reports were considered essential work even during the agency's funding lapse.Rotten food, disease, isolation. What we know about conditions at the Adelanto ICE detention center LAist's Julia Barajas reports on detainee experiences at Adelanto and how California lawmakers are trying to enforce accountability. One of the deaths at Camp East Montana was ruled a homicide by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office. Initially, DHS said that Geraldo Lunas Campos had died in Camp East Montana after experiencing"medical distress." It also claimed Lunas Campos had become"disruptive while in line for medication" and was placed in segregation. But later, the El Paso Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide due to"asphyxia due to neck and torso compression." The FBI is now investigating the death.Chris Benoit, an attorney representing the family, told NPR Lunas Campos came to the U.S. in the mid-1990s as part of a wave of Cubans immigrants during the"For all sense and purposes he is an American," Benoit said."He's lived here for decades and raised his family here and his kids love him and miss him." According to DHS, Lunas Campos had been convicted of multiple crimes, including petty larceny, unlawful possession of a weapon during a robbery and sexual contact with a child under 11. In a court petition seeking eyewitness testimony, Lunas Campos' three children said they planned to file a wrongful death lawsuit.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.This is a strain of Candida auris cultured in a petri dish at a laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's a form of yeast that can harm humans — and is resistant to the most common antifungal drugs.Combatting bacterial and viral infections is getting tougher because of their growing resistance to drugs. Antibiotic drugs can no longer be counted on to conquer nasty bacteria. Antivirals don't always overpower the viruses. This is a huge problem but it is one that widely acknowledged and researched.Fungicides are used to protect plants against fungal disease. Everything — watermelons, maize, wheat, flowers — use lots of fungicides. If we didn't use the fungicides, you'd probably have a yield loss maybe of 30% or 40%. The problem is that the fungicides are quite similar to the drugs we give to patients. So the fungus becomes resistant to the fungicide and, at the same time, our medical azoles do not work as well anymore.Combatting bacterial and viral infections is getting tougher because of their growing resistance to drugs. Antibiotic drugs can no longer be counted on to conquer nasty bacteria. Antivirals don't always overpower the viruses. This is a huge problem but it is one that widely acknowledged and researched., professor of clinical mycology at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. He says there's a"silence surge" in drug-resistant fungi and that it's mostly happening under-the-radar. -- you need very, very strict infection control measures in hospitals, you need good diagnostics, good infection control, you have to follow-up with patients and that's just not available in these lower- middle-income countries," he says."People will die, and you won't know they have a fungal infection. You wouldn't know if it was resistant." Verweij teamed up with 50 scientists around the world – from Brazil to Nigeria to China — to call for action against drug‑resistant fungi in NPR spoke with Verweij, who's been working on this issue for more than 20 years. His interview has been edited for length and clarity.Fungicides are used to protect plants against fungal disease. Everything — watermelons, maize, wheat, flowers — use lots of fungicides. If we didn't use the fungicides, you'd probably have a yield loss maybe of 30% or 40%. The problem is that the fungicides are quite similar to the drugs we give to patients. So the fungus becomes resistant to the fungicide and, at the same time, our medical azoles do not work as well anymore. The fungi which cause disease in humans are not causing disease in plants. So this is an unintended effect.So the molds – the hairy fungi – have spores which are released into the air. These spores travel long distances. It's not really well-understood but the idea is that they go right up to these jet streams, very high into the atmosphere and then can travel for continents. We inhale the spores all the time.With fungi you have two types of infections. First, we have very severe infections, and they usually occur in patients who have some kind of defect in their immunity. So, yeast found in the bloodstream or mold in the lungs. Second, we have infections of the skin, the hair and the nails, which are irritating but are not life threatening.study in the Netherlands, and we found that if you compare an infection and where it's resistant. There's about a 20% difference in mortality — you're 20% more likely to die. So that's a significant impact. And there's the new skin disease where you don't have mortality but we've had patients who have been on treatment for four years and are still suffering from the infection.The main challenge is that fungi, if you look at the cell structure — how they are built up — it's very similar to the human cell. This is different from bacteria, because bacteria are much simpler. And viruses are even more simple because they don't even have a cell. For fungi, because they're similar to human cells, it's quite difficult to find a drug which kills the fungus but does not harm the human cell. So in the past 75 years, we have developed only five classes of antifungals. The azoles are, by far, the most important. The problem is that if you can't use one of these classes then maybe you'll have one alternative left. It's already causing problems. For instance, if the fungus is in the brain, you have a very few drugs which actually get into the brain.At a mycology meeting we found a global community who wanted to collaborate . For example, you really want to know what people are using and see if you can reduce that or if there's any unnecessary use. Another important factor is: If you introduce new fungicides, they undergo an assessment to see their impact on human fungal pathogens. It's important to establish if there's a risk for cross resistance.in 2022 for the first time — that had a major impact. A decade ago, when the World Health Organization came out with itsagainst antimicrobial resistance, fungi were only mentioned twice. Now, after 10 years, it is being revised. And as a mycology community, we feel it is really important now that fungi are addressed. The problem is, in fungi, we need to do the basic stuff: Develop the tools. Do the surveillance. Set up the networks. And it's sometimes difficult to get these basic things funded.Live Nation owns, operates or works with hundreds of venues across the country. It also manages artists, promotes concerts, books tours and owns Ticketmaster, which is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world.Several artists and organizers NPR spoke with say they don't expect to see any immediate changes in the live music industry — but they see this is a first step in the right direction.that Live Nation engaged in anticompetitive practices that stifle competition and harm the live music industry. The verdict marked a major victory for more than two dozen states in theLive Nation owns, operates or works with hundreds of venues across the country. It also manages artists, promotes concerts, books tours and owns Ticketmaster, which is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world. Throughout the trial, an attorney representing 33 states and the District of Columbia argued that Live Nation wielded too much power over the industry at the expense of fans, venues and artists. Live Nation repeatedly denied those accusations, but the jury ultimately sided with the states, declaring that the company had an unfair dominance in the industry. Afterward, Live Nation issued a statement saying the verdict"is not the last word on this matter" and pointed to several pending motions that the court still has to rule on. The company said it plans to appeal any"unfavorable rulings." Several artists and organizers NPR spoke with say they don't expect to see any immediate changes in the live music industry — but they see this is a first step in the right direction. Having this scale of a win is a huge development for artists.Downtown Boys member and UMAW co-founder Joey La Neve DeFrancescoon the music industry, DeFrancesco founded the United Musicians and Allied Workers , a grassroots union advocating for the wellbeing of artists. Since then, the group has organized campaigns focused on increasing streaming royalties, merchandising payouts and SXSW payment rates for musicians. DeFrancesco says UMAW heavily supported the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and was closely monitoring the trial.'s boycott of Ticketmaster in the early 1990s."It remains to be seen what the judge is going to do with this verdict — if we're going to truly break apart this Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. But having this scale of a win is a huge development for artists.", there's an increased emphasis on touring and merch sales to make up the difference. But artists NPR spoke with say the rising costs of transportation, lodging, food and other factors required to put on shows are creating an untenable situation. Conor Murphy is a St. Louis, Mo. based musician who spent more than a decade as the lead vocalist of the emo band. Murphy says there's a multitude of reasons for the break, but one of the leading factors is how financially unsustainable it's become to be a full-time musician. He says it's especially frustrating, then, to see fanson concert tickets. . "My bands in particular, from my experience, we're not seeing the benefits of ticket prices being more expensive," he says."We're not taking home more money at the end of tours.". He says he and his wife Naomi Yang recently sold out three performances in London, and still ended up in the negative. "Three nights at our favorite club, sold out, and we lost money because expenses are so high right now," he says."It's not the club's fault. We love that club and they're transparent about money and everything. It's not the fans' fault. But it's like, if you're charging normal money at a decent, normal club, it's not adding up right now." Krukowski says he thinks the problem is a wider consolidation of power across the industry — that includes Live Nation, but also extends to streaming giants and recorded music companies. He says the industry looks completely different today than it did when he started playing music in Boston in the 1980s. "We used to have such a wide variety of partners to work with as independent artists. We had venues that were independently owned. We had record stores that were independently owned," he says."We had a network on the radio that was community and college radio stations, and we had a way of touring that didn't depend on these huge companies that are backed by enormous capital."All of the artists NPR spoke with say they hope the Live Nation verdict leads to lower ticket fees for fans as well as more robust competition and investment in small, local music scenes across the country. Aconducted by the National Independent Venue Association found that 64% of independent venues, promoters and festivals were not profitable in 2024. It's a win for the fans and the artists that have suffered under Live Nation for way too long.Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association Stephen Parker, executive director of NIVA, tells NPR that the verdict is incredibly meaningful at a time when so many venues are struggling. "It's not just a win for the states. It's a win for the small businesses and nonprofits that I represent," he says."It's a win for the fans and the artists that have suffered under Live Nation for way too long." In past statements to NPR, Live Nation has said that it promotes thousands of shows in independent venues across the country. In Boston, Krukowski says the local landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years. Two major venues with over 3,500 capacity have beenin the city since the pandemic; one is operated by Live Nation and the other is owned by a partner of AEG Presents, which is Live Nation's biggest competitor. But small clubs and independent venues with much lower capacities "That means that my friends who play adventurous, independent music or improvised music have nowhere to play in Boston. So they don't," he says."They go on tour and they don't play here."about certain bands skipping Boston on tour, and touring in smaller markets instead. Krukowski says one such place booking notable lineups is Portland, Maine.Scott Mohler is executive director and co-founder of the Maine Music Alliance. He says the verdict comes at a crucial moment for the group's ongoing battle against Live Nation. "This is incredible legitimacy added to what I think a lot of people have thought are just a bunch of hippies and hipsters shouting about the corporation for the past year," he says."I do think that it's going to certainly create more engagement and the council will be hearing from voices that they hadn't heard from before."says they've been avoiding working with Live Nation as much as possible in recent years. They say the verdict is"a pretty amazing milestone" for now, but they're curious about what will actually happen next. "We'll see how it pans out. I have a general distrust that things ever turn out in artists' favor," Rose says, laughing."We've just been burned so many times."exclusively on Bandcamp and in physical format. Since then, they've been focused on smaller solo tours in independent venues across the country. They say playing intimate rooms creates an incredibly rewarding, almost spiritual connection with the audience — and they say it's been refreshing to focus on those interpersonal connections rather than constantly trying to size up to the next biggest possible venue. "By far, the most positive and nourishing experience has been working with the venue staff and the promoters that work at these independent clubs," Rose says."It's a totally different type of show and a totally different type of experience, as opposed to when you get into the bigger rooms and you have better sound systems and maybe there's not a bathroom with no seats on the toilets anymore. But I do think it's important to pay homage to those venues and actively support them and treat them with respect."
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