According to multiple media reports, Chase died after complications from meningitis and a serious blood infection that progressed to sepsis. Hernandez said she had been hospitalized in Los Angeles earlier this month after suffering from malnutrition and that her condition deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks.

For millions of fans, Chase will forever be remembered as the voice of Lilo Pelekai in Disney’s 2002 animated hit Lilo & Stitch. The film became a worldwide success and remains one of Disney’s most beloved modern animated features. Chase continued voicing the character in sequels and television adaptations, helping establish Lilo as one of the studio’s most recognizable young protagonists.

That same year, Chase delivered another performance that would define her career. In the American horror film The Ring, she portrayed Samara Morgan, the ghostly child whose terrifying appearance became one of the most iconic images in modern horror cinema. Her performance earned widespread praise and helped make the film a box office success. The role later earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.

Born July 24, 1990, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chase entered the entertainment industry at a young age. In addition to her work in Lilo & Stitch and The Ring, she provided the English-language voice of Chihiro in the acclaimed animated film Spirited Away. She also appeared in several television series and films, including Donnie Darko, ER, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and HBO’s Big Love, where she played Rhonda Volmer in a recurring role spanning multiple seasons.

While her early career was marked by significant success, reports indicate that Chase faced numerous personal challenges later in life. Hernandez described a difficult childhood, estrangement from family members, and struggles finding stability after her years as a child star. A fundraising campaign launched before her death sought assistance during her medical crisis and highlighted the hardships she endured in recent years.

The news of Chase’s death has sparked an outpouring of tributes across social media, with fans remembering both the warmth she brought to the character of Lilo and the chilling impact of her portrayal of Samara. For many millennials who grew up in the early 2000s, her performances became defining parts of their childhood movie experiences.

Although her life was marked by both remarkable success and personal struggles, Daveigh Chase leaves behind a legacy that continues to resonate with audiences around the world. Her work helped shape some of the most memorable films of her generation, ensuring that her performances will continue to be discovered and appreciated by future audiences.

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The resort’s “Stars, Stripes & Sizzle” celebration will take place June 26-28 and again July 3-5, featuring fireworks, live music, DJs, carnival-style games and themed dining specials throughout the property.

The festivities will officially begin June 26 with a fireworks display scheduled for 9 p.m. Resort officials said the event is intended to give visitors an early start to Independence Day celebrations while recognizing the nation’s semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Throughout both weekends, guests can enjoy live entertainment on multiple stages, poolside activities, interactive games and promotional giveaways.

A centerpiece of the celebration will be Morongo’s “Rev, White, and Blue” vehicle giveaway promotion on June 28. The festivities continue July 3 with the resort’s “250 for 250” promotion, which will award a total of $250,000 in prizes in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

On July 4, guests will also have an opportunity to receive a commemorative 250th anniversary hat while supplies last.

Amy Hunstock, vice president of marketing for Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, said the resort wanted to create an event that brings together entertainment, community and summer traditions.

“As the country prepares to celebrate 250 years, we’re excited to bring guests together for a series of events centered around entertainment, celebration, and community,” Hunstock said. “From fireworks and live music to gaming, dining, and special promotions, this summer lineup reflects the energy and experiences guests have come to expect at Morongo.”

In addition to entertainment and gaming promotions, visitors will find a variety of limited-time food and beverage offerings inspired by classic fair and carnival favorites.

Featured menu items include a giant Bavarian pretzel with beer cheese sauce, fried chicken tenders paired with French toast sticks, corn esquites topped with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, caramel apples, specialty frappuccinos and dessert shakes. Additional themed beverages and treats will also be available at various dining locations throughout the resort.

Owned and operated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is located along Interstate 10 near Cabazon. The AAA Four-Diamond resort features gaming, dining, entertainment, lodging, a full-service spa and access to the nearby Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.

The celebration will include dining specials across the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, including:

• Good Times Cafe – Giant Bavarian Pretzel with whole grain mustard and beer cheese sauce | $14
• Ruffled Feathers – Fried Chicken Tenders & French Toast Sticks with maple syrup and powdered sugar | $13
• Fiesta Taco – Corn Esquite with Flamin’ Hot™ Cheetos | $12
• Pink Coffee – Assorted Caramel Apples | $8.50 or Carnival Candy Crunch Rich chocolate Frappuccino topped with colorful carnival sprinkles and whipped cream | $8
• Mozen Express – Carnival Cake Shake, Strawberry confetti shake topped with whipped cream and a vanilla cupcake | $14
• Marketplace – The Carnival Cruiser in a Souvenir Cup Baja Sipper, tropical fruit, pineapple, cherry, and island flavors | $19.99

Additional information about the Stars, Stripes & Sizzle celebration and event schedules can be found through Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

Source: Morongo Casino Resort & Spa press release.

About the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa

The AAA 4-Diamond Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is located along the 10 Freeway near Palm Springs, Calif. Owned and operated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa offers the hottest slots and an array of table and high-limit gaming at one of the largest tribal gaming centers in the United States. The towering 27-story resort features top-rated restaurants, a stunning swimming pool with private cabanas, a world-class spa, legendary live entertainment and, nearby, the 36-hole championship Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. Learn more at morongocasinoresort.com.

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Growing the AI vocabulary
Enterprise agentic AI platform Ema describes this change as agentic business transformation (ABT), a term it coined last year in partnership with HFS Research, in an attempt to plug what it sees as a gap in the existing lexicon about AI agents, and to provide enterprises with a new framework with which to think about their own adoption of the technology.
“None of the existing vocabulary captures the full scope of the change,” explains Ema CEO and founder Surojit Chatterjee. “Digital transformation was about moving from paper to software. AI transformation was about adding artificial intelligence to existing processes. Co-pilot is about AI assisting in various human tasks. But ABT is something categorically different: It’s the integration of AI agents into the fabric of the organization.”
For Shah, the dedicated term (ABT) “helps drive the need to redesign an organization in its entirety: its operating model, its workflows, decision rights, and performance management systems.” He emphasizes that “everything that’s needed to ensure those agents are actually active participants in value creation, rather than just point tools or productivity aids.”
According to Ema, ABT encompasses three core pillars: an organization’s technology stack, its workforce, and the metrics used for success.
AI agents as connective tissue
The first pillar of ABT is the technology stack. “Your existing tech stack was designed for human-operated, application-centric workflows,” says Chatterjee. “It needs to be reconsidered when the actor is an AI agent operating at machine speed across multiple systems simultaneously.”
As AI agents are integrated into an organization, enterprises will need to pivot from a set of linear processes and steps, to rewiring work in a very different way, explains Shah. That’s because the value in AI agents isn’t as another layer in an existing technology stack but as a connective tissue, he explains, moving between or across layers to coordinate a high-level task or retrieve and interpret data from multiple discrete applications. AI agents can create “a true competitive differentiation for an enterprise” by making decisions based on this capacity to contextualize, he says. “That is where the next battleground will be.”
To build this connective tissue, leaders need to adapt their technology stack to surface higher quality decisions from AI agents, prioritizing access to multiple datasets and applications simultaneously to develop tacit knowledge. “Organizations that make this architectural shift become genuinely more adaptive,” says Chatterjee. “When a new business requirement emerges, you don’t wait six months for a software vendor to build a feature. You configure an AI employee using natural language and connect it to the systems it needs. The time from business to production workflow drops from months to days.”
The workforce, redesigned
As AI agents are deployed for more use cases, enterprise leaders must consider what this means for dynamics across their workforce, the second pillar of ABT.
Workforce structures today deviate little from the hierarchical model of the early days of industrialization. To maximize efficiency and scale, processes are standardized, tasks are clearly delineated between strategic business units (SBUs), and employees progress up through an organization based on their capacity to optimize output from teams below them. But with AI agents that can execute, coordinate, and optimize tasks—often without managerial coordination—the lines of that established hierarchy become blurred.
In a workforce that blends AI agents and human employees, managers will be freed up from many execution-based tasks but take on new responsibilities associated with managing hybrid teams. Managers “will need to be able to manage issues around trust, explainability, psychological safety, and even status dynamics” to navigate new tensions that could arise in a hybrid workforce, says Shah.
The impact of agentic AI on existing workforce structures goes far beyond the management layer, too. McKinsey predicts that by 2030, three-quarters of current jobs will require redesign, upskilling, or redeployment, and organizations will need to act swiftly to amend recruitment, retention, and remuneration.
From output to outcome
Success metrics are the third and final pillar of ABT.
As AI agents assume greater ownership of core enterprise processes, taking on collaborative roles alongside human employees, traditional workforce metrics that focus on activity or output—such as calls handled or reports filed—no longer make sense.
“When you add AI employees into the workforce, activity metrics become meaningless or actively misleading,” says Chatterjee. “An AI employee can handle a thousand customer interactions in the time it takes a human to handle ten. If you measure success by interactions handled, you’ll conclude the AI is working brilliantly while missing whether any of those interactions actually drove customer satisfaction, retention, or revenue.” To correct this, enterprises must develop a new set of metrics that focus on outcome rather than output. That is, metrics on the broader benefits or changes achieved, rather than individual deliverables.
For example, when one of Ema’s large enterprise customers overhauled its own metrics, switching from tool metrics like cost per query and AI accuracy, to outcomes like the percentage of contracts reviewed without human escalation, the measured ROI from agentic AI tripled within two quarters. The changes meant “this customer stopped building point solutions in high-volume, low-complexity workflows and started deploying AI employees where the outcome value was highest,” says Chatterjee.
Integrating new metrics may also require a complete reconfiguration of reward and talent management processes, as well as accountability and ownership within organizations, points out Shah. In human-AI teams, for example, although ethical and fiduciary responsibilities will likely remain with human employees, operational accountability will become significantly more diffused to reflect the systemic role of AI agents.
This change will raise new questions that senior leadership teams will need to wrestle with, Shah adds. They’ll need to consider: Who is accountable when an AI employee makes a mistake? What happens when AI and humans disagree? What guardrails should be erected to safeguard customers?
Laying the groundwork for systems-level change
Systems-level change is gradual. These are complex lines of inquiry that experts continue to grapple with. But in kickstarting internal dialogue about the core pillars of ABT—the workforce, the technology stack, and the metrics by which success can be gauged—leaders can lay the groundwork for an enterprise better poised to embrace AI agents at a systems level and start to close the gap between their ambition and execution.
This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Review’s editorial staff. It was researched, designed, and written by human writers, editors, analysts, and illustrators. This includes the writing of surveys and collection of data for surveys. AI tools that may have been used were limited to secondary production processes that passed thorough human review.

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“Typically, when you go get a massage, the focus is always like your back, and I always wish there was more on my head, on my face especially, on my neck,” says Karena Kong, a frequent customer of Nen Head Spa in San Francisco. “When I saw that they give 90 minutes of just head, face, shoulder massage, I felt like it’s a great way to just focus on the areas that I love.”

What to expect from a head spa

Head spas originated in Japan, rooted in centuries-old practices that combine massage and herbal tinctures. Modern versions began gaining popularity in Japanese salons in the 1990s before spreading throughout Asia and now the U.S.

A typical session lasts 60 or 90 minutes and often begins with a scalp inspection, followed by deep cleansing, exfoliation, steam, and extended head, face and neck massage. Many services also include essential oils, conditioning masks, and aromatherapy in a quiet setting with dimmed lights and soft music.

“The core part of it is actually getting your hair washed,” said Peter Tham, owner of Nen Head Spa, where head massages cost about $100 an hour. “The feeling of getting your head washed, especially on a hot and humid day, feels really good. Combine that with, facial, scalp, neck and shoulder massages, which is kind of where most people, especially those who sit in front of a computer all day, suffer a lot of tension.”

What to make of head spa claims

Some head spas make health and medical claims about some of their services, suggesting they can offer stress relief or treatment for scalp skin conditions, hair loss or even alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. Experts caution that people with skin or hair conditions should see a dermatologist or other appropriate doctor for advice and possible treatment.

“It’s important to know and differentiate something that’s done for a health reason or relaxation from seeing a medical expert, a dermatologist, if you are having hair loss,” said Zakia Rahman, a dermatology professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Rahman has noticed the rising popularity of head spas and says they are generally fine as a compliment to actual medical treatments if needed — and for people who like the way it makes them feel.

Head spas can be relaxing and rejuvenating, fans say

At Sunday Headspa in San Francisco, each session starts with a technician inspecting hair follicles with a magnifying device and assessing their condition. Then customers get a deep clean, said Jolly Mac, the spa’s coordinator.

Many of their clients first discovered head spa services in Asia and are looking for similar services, which start at about $200 an hour.

Customer Crystle Vitari, first visited a head spa while visiting South Korea and finds it “rejuvenating” — and relaxing.

“Every time, I fall asleep and take a nap, actually, because it’s so relaxing,” she said.

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The exhibition will take place from Friday through June 7 at the Melissa Morgan Fine Art gallery, at 73660 El Paseo Drive, with an opening reception to take place from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Friday. The hours of operation are from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The artwork will feature different mediums, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, installation, video and photography, and explore the relationship between art, landscape and community.

This year’s Desert X Art Club are comprised of students enrolled in the organization’s free after-school education program called the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, in partnership with Desert Sands Unified School District. Participating school from DSUSD include Indio Middle School, Desert Ridge Academy, John Glenn Middle School, Carrillo Ranch Elementary and Gerald Ford Elementary School.

Besides the event, students participate in after-school workshops and field trips with Desert X’s educators and artists that encourage young people the relationship with the desert environment and their surroundings.

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    On Wednesday, May 20, workers were seen removing the paintings “California Alps” and “Charge Up San Juan Hill” from inside the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. Both pieces had been displayed at the hotel for generations and were originally purchased by Miller more than 100 years ago.

    Witnesses watched as crews carefully lifted the paintings from the walls, wrapped them in protective plastic and carried them through the hotel lobby. “California Alps” had been displayed prominently near the reception desk and elevators, while “Charge Up San Juan Hill” hung inside the hotel steakhouse overlooking the lobby area.

    The removals happened openly in front of guests, visitors and staff members, some of whom stopped to photograph the unusual scene.

    The artwork reportedly has been taken into the possession of hotel owner Kelly Roberts just days before escrow is expected to close on the sale of the Mission Inn to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation tribe. Roberts’ attorney declined to comment regarding the situation.

    The move quickly sparked criticism from local preservation advocates who say the paintings are deeply tied to Riverside’s history and the legacy of the Mission Inn itself.

    “It feels vindictive,” Riverside City Councilmember Philip Falcone said. Falcone, who previously worked as a docent at the Mission Inn, criticized the timing of the removals. “The sale closes in a week. They have one foot out the door and at the 11th hour, they do a smash-and-grab. I just can’t fathom it.”

    The Mission Inn occupies an entire downtown city block bordered by Mission Inn Avenue, Orange Street, Main Street and Sixth Street. Known for blending mission-style architecture with European-inspired design, the property has become one of Riverside’s most iconic landmarks and tourist attractions.

    According to Falcone, Roberts contacted him earlier this month to discuss the hotel sale. During that conversation, he said she voiced frustration with both the city and California’s business climate, claiming the city had not adequately supported the hotel over the years.

    Falcone believes the paintings’ removal feels personal and unnecessary, adding that he suspects the artwork could eventually be sold privately.

    The paintings themselves carry significant historical value.

    “California Alps,” painted in 1874 by artist William Keith, depicts the Sierra Nevada mountain range and measures approximately 6 feet by 10 feet. Frank Miller purchased the painting during the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, and historians believe it had remained inside the Mission Inn ever since.

    The second painting, “Charge Up San Juan Hill,” was painted around 1900 by Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin. The artwork portrays Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War as they charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba.

    Miller acquired that painting at a San Francisco auction in 1917. Historians note the piece likely carried special meaning for him because President Roosevelt visited and stayed at the Mission Inn in 1903.

    Both works are referenced in the book “Historic Mission Inn,” published by Friends of the Mission Inn. The publication describes “California Alps” as one of the hotel’s most treasured possessions. Naturalist John Muir reportedly once called the painting “the bible of the Sierras.”

    The book also notes that “Charge Up San Juan Hill” had been intentionally placed inside one of the hotel’s premier dining areas to enhance the atmosphere of the room.

    By Wednesday afternoon, the spaces where the paintings once hung had been reduced to empty walls marked by faded paint outlines and discoloration.

    James Ranger, who has served as a Mission Inn docent for the past eight years, said he was stunned watching the paintings leave the building.

    “I couldn’t believe it was happening, but it was,” Ranger said.

    Ranger and others noted that several historically significant items have disappeared from the Mission Inn over the decades, particularly after ownership changes beginning in the 1950s. Former hotel owner Ben Swig reportedly auctioned off various pieces during the 1950s and 1960s, while other artifacts vanished over time.

    Duane Roberts purchased the long-shuttered Mission Inn in 1992 and restored the property alongside his wife Kelly. Roberts died in November at age 88, and escrow on the sale of the hotel is expected to close May 28.

    Questions also remain about the whereabouts of other well-known pieces that once decorated the property, including a small painting titled “Arch Beach,” a statue of the goddess Pomona and a Steinway piano.

    Perhaps the most famous missing item is the oversized Taft chair that once sat in the hotel lobby. Built for President William Howard Taft’s visit in 1909, the chair became a popular attraction where visitors often posed for humorous photos because of its unusually large size.

    Some visitors say the chair has been missing since as early as 2023, although others only recently noticed its disappearance.

    During a Wednesday meeting of Riverside’s Cultural Heritage Board, Old Riverside Foundation President Dave Stolte warned that the removal of historically important pieces threatens the integrity of the landmark property.

    “The absence of the chair, the paintings and other priceless cultural resources diminishes the integrity of the landmark and the public’s ability to understand Frank Miller’s vision,” Stolte said.

    He added that once historically significant items are removed from the property and placed into private hands, recovering them becomes increasingly difficult.

    Although Falcone acknowledged Roberts likely has the legal right to remove the artwork, he said many residents view the move as disrespectful to both Frank Miller’s vision and Riverside’s cultural history.

    “It feels like her flipping us off on her way out the door,” Falcone said.

The post Historic Paintings Removed From Riverside’s Mission Inn Days Before Hotel Sale appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“Directing Change gives young people the opportunity to speak openly, support one another and help shape school communities where every student feels valued, understood and encouraged to reach out for help,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said. “Recognizing our students for expanding mental health awareness is a meaningful opportunity to show how much we value their powerful insights and inspiring creativity.”

Selected entries from the 2026 contest will be shown after a Red Carpet arrival, beginning shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Fox Performing Arts Center in downtown Riverside.

The competition is held annually as part of the “Youth Creating Change” program. Students are invited to produce vignettes, comparable to public service announcements, that are 30 to 60 seconds long.

A total 213 entries from two dozen schools and nonprofit organizations countywide were submitted this year, according to the Riverside University Health System, which sponsors the contests.

“Supporting the well-being of Riverside County’s young people is one of the most meaningful investments we can make in our future,” Board of Supervisors Chair Karen Spiegel said. “Directing Change gives students a powerful platform to share their voices, uplift one another and inspire change through creativity and compassion. These films reflect the insight, courage and heart of our youth, reminding us that honest conversations build stronger schools, healthier communities and a hopeful future.”

Along with the regular categories focused on suicide prevention and mental health awareness, this year’s event established two additional categories — substance abuse and Boys & Young Men Media Challenge — according to RUHS.

“By encouraging honest storytelling and peer connection, the program helps foster empathy, awareness and a culture of care among youth,” the agency stated.

The event is slated to conclude about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

More information is available at hopeandjustice.art/riversidecounty.

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    According to the Menifee Union School District, the eighth grader competed against dancers from 21 countries during the global competition, earning recognition alongside some of the top youth tap dancers in the world.

    Harlie competed in two major divisions during the championship event. Her team’s “Magic” performance in the Junior Formation category placed fifth overall, while the “Grease” production routine secured a silver medal finish, ranking second in the world.

    “This achievement represents the pinnacle of my dance journey so far,” Harlie said. “After competing for 10 years, nothing compares to the pride and joy of this moment. Being ranked second in the world is a dream come true.”

    Harlie’s path to the world championships began long before the trip to Prague. She started dancing at just 18 months old and has spent years training in competitive tap dance. She currently trains with the Southern California Tap Company and Norris Performing Arts Center under instructors Michelle Miner and Sarah Cleveland.

    To earn a spot on Team USA, Harlie went through an intensive audition process coordinated through the United States Dance & Sport Competition Federation. Once selected, the preparation became even more demanding.

    From July through October, she balanced long rehearsal weekends and elite-level training sessions while continuing to maintain straight A’s at Hans Christensen Middle School. Family vacations and free weekends were often replaced with practices and travel tied to competition preparation.

    Her mother, Sasha, described the experience as emotional and unforgettable for the entire family.

    “As a parent, it was both mind-blowing and surreal,” Sasha said. “Seeing her stand with her teammates wearing the United States jacket was something I’ll never forget. Watching her do what she loves alongside some of her closest friends made the entire experience incredibly special.”

    Beyond the competition itself, Harlie also had the opportunity to connect with dancers from around the world. Participants took part in a “presentation of nations,” where performers exchanged pins, gifts and stories with competitors from different countries, including Ukraine.

    Sasha described the atmosphere in Prague as feeling similar to a miniature Olympic event, with dancers from around the globe gathering through their shared passion for performing arts.

    Menifee Union School District Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Root praised Harlie for balancing academics, leadership and high-level competition.

    “Harlie’s achievement reflects what students can accomplish when they combine passion with perseverance,” Root said. “She has represented both her school district and the United States with excellence while continuing to succeed academically.”

    Board President Kyle Root also congratulated the student on her international success, calling her accomplishment a source of pride for the district and local community.

    Outside of dance, Harlie remains heavily involved on campus. She participates in Associated Student Body, serves on the school’s cheerleading squad and takes part in the district’s Community Engagement Initiative. District officials said she recently spoke before a crowd of more than 1,000 participants, sharing her experiences and helping represent the district’s student leadership efforts.

    School officials said Harlie’s journey reflects years of discipline, teamwork and determination, with her recent international success serving as another milestone in both her academic and athletic career.

The post Menifee Student Wins Silver Medal at World Tap Dance Championships appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Originally established as a mineral hot springs destination in the early 1900s, the resort—also known as Massacre Canyon Inn (MCI)—was part of what was once referred to as Southern California’s “health belt,” drawing visitors from across the region to experience the reputed healing properties of the springs. In the 1920s, the Gilman family expanded the property into a prominent resort featuring a 27-hole golf course, horse stables, tennis courts and a range of recreational amenities.

By the late 1960s, the resort started a boxing training camp that attracted both rising talent and some of the most recognized names in the sport.

This past week, Golden Era Productions welcomed back former boxer Lester Smith, who trained at the Gilman Resort from 1968 to 1970 during the early years of his middleweight career. Introduced to boxing by his stepfather, Stan Russell, Smith began his journey at the Gilman training camp, which featured extensive facilities including a boxing ring, steam baths, exercise equipment, running trails through the foothills, guest cottages and a full-service dining room complete with a bar and coffee shop.

Smith recalled the demanding daily routine of the fighters: rising at daybreak for a six-mile run, followed by intensive training in the ring throughout the day. He also remembered the presence of notable figures in the sport, including Ken Norton, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and brothers Mike Quarry and Jerry Quarry. Smith noted that he narrowly missed meeting Muhammad Ali, who visited the camp while Smith was away in Las Vegas.

Weekend visitors included renowned sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, who interviewed fighters ahead of major bouts. Smith also recalled that the masseuse for boxing legend Joe Louis was available at the steam baths following rigorous training sessions.

Motivated by a desire to revisit the place where his boxing career began, Smith returned to the property—now extensively renovated and transformed into a modern, international production facility where audiovisual content is created for the Churches of Scientology. His visit highlights the continuity of the site, which has evolved from a destination for health and athletic training into a center for creative production.

During his tour, Smith was shown the location of the original boxing ring, now repurposed as a Foreign Recording Studio in the Audio Building. He immediately recognized the area, recalling its proximity to the foothills. He also revisited the former MCI dining room, expressing admiration for its updated design and décor.

The visit concluded with lunch at the property’s historic Tavern, which retains its original name. Reflecting on the experience, Smith remarked, “How fortunate the staff are to live and work at Golden Era.”

A representative of Golden Era Productions said visits such as Smith’s serve as a meaningful reminder of the property’s legacy. “It is always special to welcome back individuals who were part of this location’s history and to share how the site has been preserved and repurposed for a new era,” the representative said.

Both Smith and his guest expressed appreciation not only for the beauty of the facilities, but also for the warmth and hospitality extended by the staff.

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A recent analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) revealed that the state added 677,000 housing units over the past six years, even as its population grew by only 39,000. Despite this increase in housing, the market remains tight. Owner vacancy rates dropped from 1.2% to 0.8%, while rental vacancies stood at just 4.3% in 2024, well below the national average of 5.9%.

“The state has made some headway in adding housing units, but it’s been playing catch-up for so long that the progress hasn’t been enough to significantly ease the market,” said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.

California’s housing shortage remains a major issue, with the state needing an estimated 2.5 million more homes, according to a 2022 estimate by the state’s housing agency. PPIC’s report also highlights a demographic shift that’s influencing the market, as household sizes have decreased over time. Between 2019 and 2024, the state lost 82,000 households with children and gained 722,000 households without them.

“Fewer people in each household means we need more households overall,” Berner explained.

The aging population of California is also contributing to this trend, with 16.5% of the state’s population now 65 or older, a figure projected to rise to 24.9% by 2050.

In response, homebuilding has picked up, with accessory dwelling units (ADUs) becoming more common. ADUs are secondary living units on the same property as a primary home, and California has encouraged their construction through policy changes aimed at reducing local restrictions.

“The state has made notable progress in encouraging ADU construction, which should be recognized,” Berner said. “These units are playing an important role in addressing the housing shortage where it’s most needed.”

While these efforts show progress, they haven’t fully addressed the crisis. New homes continue to be quickly absorbed, and vacancy rates remain low. Berner pointed out that despite California housing 11.5% of the U.S. population, the state only accounted for 7.3% of newly permitted housing units last year. “The pace is still not fast enough,” he said.

PPIC’s analysis also noted that household formation among young adults has risen, suggesting more younger residents are starting their own households. However, the state will need more affordable housing to allow these residents to take that next step.

Of the 1.2 million housing units planned for California, only 712,000 are designated for moderate-income or lower households, which is about half of what is necessary to meet demand, according to Realtor.com. This gap could pose a significant challenge moving forward.

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