Heading into the new year, a look back on the happenings of 2025
Your morning catch-up: Scratching the surface of 2025’s biggest stories, more Californians are heading back to college and other big stories.
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If 2025 feels like a blur of headlines, disasters and scandals, don’t fret, we all feel this way. To help you sort and recall all of the big stories of the year, we have constructed a quick timeline of 2025. And, no, it wasn’t all bad news.
January
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, fires broke out in Pacific Palisades and Altadena that would go on to kill 31 and destroy more than 16,000 structures, among the worst in California’s history. The Palisades and Eaton fires devastated Southern California but work continues on the rebuilding effort.
More on the fires:
- What happened in the first four days and weekend of the fires.
- Fire hydrants ran dry and a Palisades reservoir was offline and empty as the fires spread.
- The fires were declared 100% contained at the end of the month. Los Angeles began to recover and rebuild.
Also in January, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States.
February
As Trump settled into the presidency, he immediately began pushing controversial policies, including ending birthright citizenship, ordering K-12 schools and colleges to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and beginning a mass layoff of government employees.
What else happened this month:
- The Trump administration backtracked on a plan to eliminate thousands of employees at the National Park Service after public outcry.
- Thousands rallied in downtown Los Angeles and shut down the 101 Freeway to protest the new immigration policies. Several days later, a leaked document said “large scale” immigration enforcement action was coming soon to L.A.
March
Readers found some entertaining relief from the usual news cycle with the Academy Awards, during which filmmaker Sean Baker made history by becoming the first person to win four Oscars in one night for the same movie with “Anora.”
What else happened this month:
- U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. enacted sweeping cuts to his department.
- The Trump administration also gutted the Department of Education, laying off about half of the agency’s employees.
In entertainment news, the month brought the harrowing finale of “Severance” Season 2, Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre appearing coupled up at the Vanity Fair Oscars bash and padels gaining popularity in L.A.’s sport scene.
April
In the months after Trump assumed his role as the 47th U.S. president, he continued on his agenda, canceling international student visas and announcing a dramatic series of worldwide tariffs. But many pushed back, with protests breaking out across the nation, criticizing Trump and Elon Musk, billionaire advisor to the president.
What else happened this month:
- Star Michelle Trachtenberg’s cause of death was determined to be complications of diabetes mellitus.
And April delivered plenty of entertainment with the Season 3 finale of “White Lotus” and The Times went back several decades for both the best 30 nonfiction and fiction books in the last 30 years.
May
After Pope Francis’ death on April 21, the first U.S. pope in the history of the Catholic Church was chosen May 7. The choice of Chicago-born Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, stunned the nation.
What else happened this month:
- One person died and several others were injured in a suspected bomb blast outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on May 16 that the FBI described as “an intentional act of terrorism.”
- President Trump picked Dr. Casey Means, a holistic medicine doctor and wellness influencer who quit her medical residency, as his nominee for surgeon general.
Readers also resonated with our guide for five social skills you can improve to make new friends as an adult, a riveting feature on how a woman’s death inflamed the debate over how California manages problem black bears and the roaring events of the 151st Kentucky Derby.
June
Sweeping ICE raids began in Los Angeles this month, ramping up the Trump administration’s large-scale battle against immigration. The aggressive raids caused an uproar, with intense clashes between law enforcement and protesters and the arrival of the National Guard.
What else happened this month:
- “No Kings” demonstrations erupted across the country to protest Trump, with SoCal’s drawing tens of thousands.
Apart from the headlines of political and social upheaval, readers took note of Times restaurant critic Bill Addison’s list for the 101 best restaurants in California.
July
As immigration raids continued in Los Angeles, Trump’s nearly 900-page “Big Beautiful Bill” passed. The bill features trillions of dollars in tax cuts, billions toward border and national security, and affected millions of Medicaid recipients to fund the bill.
What else happened this month:
- Modest tsunami waves hit California after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Russia, but advisories were soon downgraded and canceled.
And dramatic news erupted in the world of entertainment, with “South Park” creators reaching a billion-dollar streaming deal with Paramount.
August
Gov. Gavin Newsom ramped up his fight with Trump with his ambitious redistricting measure that shook up California.
What else happened this month:
- Southern California faced extreme weather with the most significant heat wave of the year, sparking several blazes in Los Angeles.
Other big stories of the month included a feature on what hundreds of Californians found after being paid $10,000 to relocate to Oklahoma.
September
Conservative figure and Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Drama in the entertainment world ensued after Jimmy Kimmel, during a Sept. 15 show, made comments about the right-wing activist’s death that resulted in ABC suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely. But it didn’t stick, with the late-night talk show returning later that month after a backlash.
What else happened this month:
- The decomposing body of Celeste Rivas, a SoCal teenager who went missing in 2024, was found in singer D4vd’s Tesla.
For more award glory, readers followed the 77th Emmy Awards, which saw an 8% increase in ratings from last year. See a recap of the event, including all the winners and the night’s best and worst moments.
October
On Oct. 9, Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire deal in Gaza, after two years of deadly conflict and just over two years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. But the ceasefire was undone later that month, as Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza and claimed that Hamas launched an attack on its forces.
What else happened this month:
- A massive explosion and fire broke out at an Chevron refinery in El Segundo.
And in nonsensical news: Kids began screaming “6-7” as part of an online phenomenon that seemed to start with a song by Philadelphia rapper Skrilla.
November
And to kick off November, Los Angeles bled blue as the Dodgers won the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays in a nail-biter 5-4, 11-inning Game 7. Parties and parades followed, celebrating the back-to-back champions.
What else happened this month:
- California passed Prop. 50, a redistricting ballot measure touted by Newsom to help Democrats. State Republicans soon after filed a lawsuit to block the measure.
December
And lastly, the killings of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, dominated headlines in December. Nick Reiner, the couple’s son, was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. The court case has largely involved Nick Reiner’s mental state and history of addiction, as he faces the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
What else happened this month:
- Southern California saw its wettest Christmas in modern history, which brought record-breaking rainfall across the region. The storm brought evacuations, flooding and mudslides, also resulting in the deaths of three people.
- A massive Hollywood battle between Netflix and Paramount continues over the auction of Warner Bros. Discovery.
And when reading the news became too much, people sought out The Times’ list for the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles in search of closing out the year on a good bite at least.
Today’s top stories
More holiday rain is coming back to Southern California
- Residents should expect to have an 80-90% chance of rain New Year’s Eve and Day, with rainfall rates from a quarter to half an inch an hour predicted for Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
- Evacuation warnings begin Wednesday at 11 a.m. for fire-scarred areas affected by the Franklin, Palisades, Eaton and other major fires across the region.
- Gov. Newsom is mobilizing emergency crews as the storm bears down on California.
2026 Rose Parade
- Traffic on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena will be replaced by barbecues, folding chairs and coolers starting Wednesday night ahead of the 137th Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.
- That means road closures, traffic congestion and lots of people. A forecast of rain is adding another layer of complexity for campers and parade-goers.
- Before the petals hit the metal, here’s what you should know.
L.A. ignored fire safety as it permitted development in high-risk areas, a lawsuit alleges
- L.A. repeatedly approved development in fire-prone areas in violation of state standards for safe evacuation and firefighter access, according to the lawsuit.
- The city has a long history of struggling to adopt and enforce wildfire safety regulations.
- Resident groups and fire safety watchdogs have made natural allies against loosening regulations in high-risk areas, complicating the debate around California’s housing crisis.
What else is going on
- Recent storms boosted California’s snowpack, but there’s still a long way to go.
- This Long Beach studio is designing America’s cheapest EV truck.
- A new California law requires tortillas to include an extra ingredient starting Jan. 1.
- Actor Mickey Rourke faces eviction from his L.A. home over $60,000 in unpaid rent.
- Isiah Whitlock Jr., “The Wire” actor and Spike Lee collaborator, has died at 71.
Commentary and opinions
- Democrats are on a roll, columnist Mark Z. Barabak argues. So why not fight one another?
- Thank you, L.A. sports teams, for saving me during the worst year, writes columnist Bill Plaschke.
- City Councilmember Rick Caruso, Stephen Miller grows hair and more 2026 predictions from columnist Gustavo Arellano.
This morning’s must read
Scream into the void. Sweat it out at a Korean spa. Smash a car at a rage room. Ending an era with a closing ritual can be therapeutic and help you make room for something new.
Other must reads
- A vital third-space coffee shop is set to close its Inglewood flagship.
- Hollywood’s script for 2026: Media mergers, Disney leadership change, AI fights and more.
- As the job market tightens, more Californians are heading back to college.
For your downtime
Going out
- Travel: It’s only December but this SoCal desert escape is already blanketed in wildflowers.
- Dining: Ring in 2026 with 25 fabulous New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day meals.
Staying in
- Television and film: Spend the last day of the year watching our 25 most popular film and TV stories of 2025.
- Books: Here are 10 books to read in January, including new page-turners from George Saunders, Gabriel Tallent and more.
- Recipe: Here’s a recipe for Tomat’s black-eyed peas with maitake mushrooms.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
A question for you: What is your New Year’s resolution?
Jeanette Hernandez said, “My New Years’ resolution for 2026 is to ask more questions and assume as little as possible. At the end of 2025, I noticed my assumptions caused me to make errors in judgment about people and create little dramas in my head that weren’t real.”
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Carlin Stiehl at a July rally against immigration raids at Los Angeles’ City Hall. It is part of our roundup of the year in photos for 2025.
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
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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