Court clears Soto’s wildfire price gouging case against Airbnb
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced yesterday that a Los Angeles court overruled Airbnb’s attempt to dismiss her office’s civil enforcement action alleging the platform illegally hiked rental prices on at least 2,600 properties during last January’s catastrophic wildfires.
The ruling clears the way for the case to proceed to trial. At the center of the lawsuit is Airbnb’s “Smart Pricing” tool, which the city attorney’s office alleges allows Airbnb — not individual hosts — to set and advertise prices based on demand. Airbnb had argued that hosts, not the platform, control pricing. The court found the complaint adequately alleged otherwise.
“This ruling confirms that our allegations of wildfire-related price gouging against Airbnb are legally sufficient to move forward in court,” said Feldstein Soto. “We look forward to presenting our case as we continue to seek justice for Angelenos who were exploited at their most vulnerable moments. My office will always hold accountable those who violate City and State laws, especially laws enacted to protect Angelenos in times of crisis.”
The court also found the complaint adequately alleged that Airbnb falsely represented that host identities and property locations had been verified.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, seeks injunctive relief, civil penalties, restitution and other remedies. It is being managed by the City Attorney’s Public Rights Branch.
Mitchell greenlights Willowbrook’s Charles R. Drew University expansion
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell (D – Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Compton) won Board approval Tuesday for the final land use entitlements, clearing the way for the Charles R. Drew University (CDU) Willowbrook Wellness Campus — a 14-acre expansion bringing more than 500 affordable housing units, new educational facilities, and community amenities to the unincorporated Willowbrook community in South Los Angeles.
Charles R. Drew University is one of only four Historically Black Medical Colleges in the United States and the only federally designated Historically Black Graduate Institution west of the Mississippi River.
“For decades, Charles R. Drew University has been a beacon of opportunity, training healthcare professionals who understand the needs of historically underserved communities,” said Mitchell. “The Wellness Campus is a once-in-a-generation investment that strengthens the University’s future while creating affordable housing, expanding educational opportunities, generating economic growth, and delivering lasting benefits for the South LA region.”
The project includes 250 affordable family housing units developed by nonprofit Century Housing, 200 affordable student housing units, 50 affordable faculty and workforce housing units, more than 121,000 square feet of offices, laboratories and bioscience space, a gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, multi-purpose athletic field, and a 700-space parking structure.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027 under a 99-year ground lease among CDU, the Los Angeles County Development Authority, and the Compton Unified School District.
Zbur scores $5 million for UCLA reproductive health center
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D – Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Westwood Village), chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, announced yesterday that the California state budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom includes $5 million in one-time funding for the UCLA Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy.
The center, founded in 2022 with state seed funding, brings together lawyers, policy experts and researchers to develop legal strategies and policy solutions advancing reproductive justice. Its work spans abortion access, contraception, maternal health equity, family-building policy and racial and economic disparities in reproductive health outcomes.
“California has a responsibility not only to protect reproductive freedom within our own borders, but to lead the nation in developing the legal strategies, research, and policy solutions that will safeguard those rights for generations to come,” said Zbur. “At a time when reproductive health care providers, patients, and advocates are facing unprecedented attacks, this investment ensures UCLA’s Center for Reproductive Health, Law and Policy can continue serving as a national hub for innovation, legal scholarship, and reproductive justice.”
Zbur said the funding helps ensure that California remains the nation’s leader in reproductive freedom and a beacon for evidence-based policy and legal innovation.
Hahn, Horvath move to shore up child protections
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D – San Pedro, Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos) and Lindsey P. Horvath (D – Western Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley, including Pacoima, Panorama City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Calabasas, Malibu, Sylmar) won Board approval yesterday for a comprehensive review of the Department of Children and Family Services policies aimed at strengthening protections for children ages birth to five.
Between 1989 and 2018, 524 children in LA County died due to trauma inflicted by a parent or primary caregiver. The motion directs DCFS to examine internal processes, including case review and closure, linkage between support services at different stages of a case, and levels of review in domestic violence cases. The department will report back in 120 days.
“Los Angeles County serves many roles, but none as important as protecting vulnerable people, especially children,” said Hahn. “When it comes to the safety of our children, no stone can be left unturned.”
The motion comes against a backdrop of significant recent progress. In 2021, 51 percent of child fatalities in families with child welfare history in the county were children birth to five years old. The most recent 2025 data shows that figure has dropped to 25 percent — a result of targeted outreach to high-need areas, lower social worker caseloads, and expanded mental health and substance abuse services.
“The first years of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows,” said Horvath. “If we want better outcomes for our children, we have to show up sooner — with support, with resources, and with care — so families have what they need to build healthy, stable futures together.”
