19 Aug 2025

Despite a flurry of meetings on Russia’s war in Ukraine, major obstacles to peace remain

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By BARRY HATTON and KATIE MARIE DAVIES, Associated Press

The second Oval Office meeting in six months between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went off smoothly Monday, in sharp contrast to their disastrous encounter in February.

European leaders joined the discussions in a show of transatlantic unity and both they and Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked Trump for his efforts to end Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine.

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“I don’t want to hide the fact that I wasn’t sure it would go this way,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Washington. “But my expectations were not just met, they were exceeded.”

But despite the guarded optimism and friendly banter among the leaders, there was little concrete progress on the main obstacles to ending the war — and that deadlock likely favors Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces continue to make steady, if slow progress on the ground in Ukraine.

“Putin cannot get enough champagne or whatever he’s drinking,” Gabrielius Landsbergis, a former foreign minister of Lithuania, said of Monday’s meeting.

As NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told Fox News: “All the details have to be hammered out.”

Here is a look at the issues that need to be resolved:

Security guarantees for Ukraine

To agree to a peace deal with Russia, Ukraine wants assurances that it can deter any future attacks by the Kremlin’s forces.

President Donald Trump meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

That means, Zelenskyy says, a strong Ukrainian army that is provided with weapons and training by Western partners.

It could potentially also mean offering Ukraine a guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate, which sees an attack on one member of the alliance as an attack on all. How that would work is not clear.

Additionally, Kyiv’s European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement in Ukraine.

A coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative, although the role that the U.S. might play in such a force is unclear.

European leaders, fearing Moscow’s territorial ambitions won’t stop in Ukraine, are keen to lock America’s military might into the plan.

Trump said he’ll help provide protection but stopped short of committing American troops to the effort, instead promising U.S. “coordination.”

Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of such a force, saying that it will not accept NATO troops in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired an online meeting Tuesday of the coalition countries.

Once officials have discussed proposals in more detail, Rutte said, a virtual meeting will take place with Trump and European leaders.

Agreeing on a ceasefire

Ukraine and its European supporters have repeatedly called for a ceasefire while peace talks are held.

Putin has balked at that prospect. With his forces inching forward in Ukraine, he has little incentive to freeze their movement.

In this photo provided by Ukraine’s 65th Mechanized Brigade press service, recruits practice military skills on a training ground on a sunflower field in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine’s 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP)

Ahead of his meeting with the Russian leader last week, Trump threatened Russia with “severe consequences” if it didn’t accept a ceasefire. Afterward, he dropped that demand and said it was best to focus on a comprehensive peace deal — as Putin has pushed for.

Trump said in Monday’s Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was “unnecessary.” But after his closed-door meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy, Trump told reporters that “all of us would obviously prefer the immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace.”

Where Trump ultimately falls on that issue is important because it could affect how much Ukrainian land Russia has seized by the time the two sides get around to hammering out how much it could keep.

Occupied Ukrainian territory

Zelenskyy and European leaders said that Putin has demanded that Ukraine give up the Donbas, an industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the most intense fighting but that Russian forces have failed to capture completely.

Ukrainian soldiers from air-defence unit of 59th brigade fire at Russian strike drones in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Moscow’s forces also hold Crimea as well as parts of six other regions — all adding up to about one-fifth of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has long noted the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits breaking up his country. He has also suggested the demand for territory would serve as a springboard for future invasion.

Rutte said the possibility of Ukraine ceding occupied territory to Russia in return for peace wasn’t discussed in Monday’s talks. That is an issue for Zelenskyy and Putin to consider together, he said to Fox News.

A Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Zelenskyy has repeatedly suggested sitting down with Putin, even challenging the Russian leader to meet him as part of direct peace talks between the two sides in Turkey in May. Putin snubbed that offer, saying that significant progress on an agreement would have to be made before the pair met in person.

On Monday, Trump appeared to back Zelenskyy’s plan. “I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Trump said in a social media post.

He said he would join the two leaders afterward.

But when discussing a phone call held after the meeting between Trump and the Russian leader, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov gave no indication that either a bilateral or a trilateral meeting with Ukraine had been agreed.

European leaders know that Putin doesn’t want to meet Zelenskyy and that he won’t allow Western troops in Ukraine — but they’re expressing optimism that these things could happen in the hopes of forcing Putin to be the one to say no to Trump, according to Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

“Europeans hype up expectations to create a reality in which Putin disappoints,” he wrote on X.

___

Associated Press writers Sam McNeil in Brussels and Emma Burrows in London contributed.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

19 Aug 2025

The Innocent and the Executed: James Beathard’s Long-Forgotten Story

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In his East Texas hometown, James Beathard was known as an unconventional thinker—an outspoken peacenik who marched in the high school band and sometimes played chess during lunch breaks. His student body was unapologetically pro-2nd Amendment and, in those pre-mass shooting days, the parking lot in Rusk held plenty of pickups with gun racks full of loaded shotguns and hunting rifles.

So Beathard, whose high school years in the 1970s overlapped with the Vietnam War, shocked his entire lunch table during a raucous debate one day by “coming out as a conscientious objector,” recalled his friend Lucy Murphy. “He really felt he could not … use a gun against anybody. So there was really no sense in him going to the military. And yet his father had been in the military, and my dad was a career military person.”

After graduation, Beathard attended college and then took a job at his hometown’s largest employer: the state mental hospital. In 1984, his biggest problem seemed to be that he’d recently gotten divorced and needed money for a lawyer in order to win more visits with his kids, Murphy said.

So it confounded his fellow residents of Rusk when Beathard was arrested for capital murder—along with a coworker—in connection with a heinous crime that left three people dead in a remote cabin in the Davy Crockett National Forest 50 miles south. Beathard had no prior criminal record.

Fewer seemed surprised about the arrest of Gene Hathorn Jr., the co-defendant, who was a local drug dealer with a history of violence and clear motive. The victims were Hathorn’s father, who’d recently disinherited him, his stepmother, and half-brother. Some locals later testified to threats he’d made against his family and his violent temper: In one instance, he’d used nunchucks to brutalize a man simply for taking a drink of whiskey without asking him. The Trinity County district attorney sought the death penalty for both men.

Beathard’s case went to trial first, and Hathorn testified for the prosecution, claiming his friend planned and carried out the killings. Beathard then denied knowing anything about Hathorn’s murder plot; he testified he’d been tricked into riding to the family home and claimed he’d fled and hidden when Hathorn opened fire. But Beathard was sentenced to death.

A few weeks later, Hathorn recanted, saying he’d concocted false testimony only after being threatened and promised leniency. “I freely admit that I caused the death of all of the decedents by shooting them with guns. I did this without the aid of James L. Beathard. None of the testimony … was in fact true,” he said in an affidavit.

The new version of events made no difference: Beathard, who claimed innocence, was executed in 1999; Hathorn had his death sentence commuted to life.

That’s a portion of this twisted Texas tale that two recent graduates of an English law school—Alicia Nice, originally from Humble, and Gurvin Chopra, who visited Texas for the first time to investigate this case—hope to tell in a new documentary along with Christian Roper, an East Texas filmmaker whose family members knew Beathard. The trio call their film-in-progress, Shadow of a Doubt: The James Beathard Story, and have raised more than $15,000 for the The Beathard Project through a grant and Kickstarter.

Nearly 25 years after his execution, Beathard’s story remains largely untold. In January 2000, the Texas Observer published one of the only articles about his innocence claim. In “A Letter From Hell,” editor Michael King posed the question of why Texas was killing Beathard despite “considerable evidence that Beathard was not guilty.” 

In that era, Governor George W. Bush was running for president on a tough-on-crime platform. Texas executed 152 people during his tenure in the governor’s mansion.

Moments before death, Beathard thanked the Observer and condemned the system that was about to kill him: “I’m dying tonight based on testimony, that all parties, me, the man who gave the testimony, the prosecutor he used knew it was a lie.”

His haunting last words were part of what drew the attention of those students at the undergraduate law school in Bristol, England, decades later. Nice and Chopra learned of Beathard’s story from attorney Clive Stafford Smith, a legendary defense and human rights attorney, who recruited them for the Postmortem Project, a multi-year effort to scrutinize cases where Americans used their last words to proclaim innocence before being executed.

Many cases examined in the project involve Texas, which has both condemned and executed more people than any other state. Since 1976, when U.S. executions resumed after a four-year moratorium prompted by a federal Supreme Court ruling, Texas has killed 595 people, according to the Death Penalty Information Center’s execution database. The center separately tallies 18 people from Texas death row who were exonerated and released after flawed forensic evidence, perjury, or other flaws were exposed. 

The same group’s Innocence Database includes Kerry Max Cook, another East Texas man who was wrongfully convicted of a murder in Tyler. In a 2001 back-and-forth with state lawmakers, Cook, who knew Beathard, cited the latter as a clear case of a wrongful execution: “Mr. Beathard, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, was innocent.” Cook was recently declared actually innocent and has sued Smith County officials who allegedly framed him.

There are several other infamous Texas executions involving innocence claims. These include Cameron Todd Willingham, a father from Corsicana whose three small children died in a Christmas-time house fire that seasoned forensic experts later said was sparked by an electrical problem rather than the arson that the state’s expert witnesses had described based on discredited techniques. 

Carlos DeLuna, of Corpus Christi, was the subject of a Columbia University investigation (and subsequent book) and a Chicago Times series and was executed despite evidence that an eyewitness confused DeLuna with the true killer, another man named Carlos. And Ruben Cantu, a Southside San Antonio youth was executed for a robbery-murder he allegedly committed at age 17—though Cantu’s co-defendent and the lone eyewitness later said that Cantu was never at the scene and detectives targeted Cantu after he’d been in a bar fight involving an off-duty officer.

In an interview with the Observer, Stafford Smith argued that Texas likely has many more cases involving executed innocent people whose stories received far less publicity than Willingham, Cantu, and DeLuna.

Beathard saw all of his appeals denied. Texas courts rejected his innocence claim as too late, since Hathorn’s recantation came 90 days after his trial and Rule 21 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure “barred the introduction of new evidence as grounds for a new trial more than 30 days after sentencing,” Nice explained in an email. “This quirk of procedural law” combined with a legal doctrine that rejects new evidence of innocence as grounds for relief by itself, she added, “led to an instance where a man was executed on evidence that was essentially nonexistent at the time of his execution.”

Given Texas’ history of largely pro-death penalty court rulings, it’s somewhat astonishing that Hathorn, nearly five years after Beathard’s death, won his own appeal in the same murder case. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned his death sentence based on arguments that evidence of abuse he’d suffered as a child from his father, the principal target of his killing spree, had never been presented as a potentially mitigating factor during the punishment phase of his capital murder trial.

In 2004, Hathorn’s attorney negotiated a plea deal, and Hathorn was resentenced to life. In an interview with the Observer, David Sergi, Hathorn’s appellate attorney, told the Observer that he recalls a judge requested the court hearing be held early in the morning to avoid drawing a potentially angry crowd.

One of the few news stories available on the internet about the resentencing does not mention that Beathard had already been executed for the crime, despite an innocence claim. (More than a decade later, Hathorn died of natural causes.)

Joe Price, the Trinity County DA who sought death sentences for Beathard and Hathorn, made different arguments in their two trials. He initially used Hathorn’s testimony to convict Beathard and to argue for a death sentence, saying: “Hathorn might be a cold-blooded killer, but there hasn’t been any evidence in this courtroom that says he is a liar. He is telling the truth.”

Then, in Hathorn’s trial, Price attacked Hathorn’s testimony against Beathard as unbelievable. It could not have convinced a “one-eyed hunting dog,” he said.

Price died in a car accident in 2003. Despite Hathorn’s recantation, William Lee Hon, the retired Polk County prosecutor and Price’s close friend, told the Observer Price never expressed doubts about Beathard’s execution given that under Texas’ so-called law of parties others involved in a crime can sometimes be held responsible for the actions of the mastermind or the triggerman. “I don’t think there was any doubt in Joe’s mind, at least based on my discussions with him,” Hon said.

Still, some people in Rusk ask themselves how it was that the gunman ended up getting off death row and the innocent onlooker was executed. Roper, the documentary filmmaker on the Beathard project, grew up in Rusk, and he said plenty of locals consider Beathard’s execution to have been unjust. Among them is his Aunt Lucy.

Lucy Murphy was one of Beathard’s close friends and lunchroom pals growing up. Her father employed him at the state mental hospital. She was sitting with him the day he declared as a teen that he could never use a gun against another man. She thinks Texas executed an innocent man, someone guilty mainly of trusting the wrong person. “At the beginning, when he was convicted of this, I thought he didn’t do it. There’s no way he could have done this. He did not shoot anybody,” Murphy told the Observer.

Murphy remembers Beathard telling her: “This guy took me off in the middle of nowhere to his parents’ house. And he killed his family. Oh, I waited outside, not knowing what the fuck was going on. I figured it out pretty quick, he said some things in the past, but it was too late.” Afterward, he told her, Hathorn repeatedly threatened to kill his family if he didn’t cover for Hathorn.

“What would you do?” Murphy asked. “You just, you protect the people you love. And I think that’s why he made some bad choices and got some bad advice. But he didn’t shoot anybody.”

The post The Innocent and the Executed: James Beathard’s Long-Forgotten Story appeared first on The Texas Observer.

19 Aug 2025

Best sailing destinations in the US

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By Noreen Kompanik, TravelPulse

It is widely believed that Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

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There’s just something special about sailing. The open water, sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair and a total sense of freedom, relaxation and centering, a perfect antidote to the stresses of living in today’s modern world.

Whether you decide to be part of a crew manning the sails or just along for the ride, we are so fortunate to have so many incredible destinations here in the U.S. to sail, whether it be a tranquil lake or riding the ocean waves.

Newport, R.I.

Often referred to as the “sailing capital of the world,” Newport offers a deep maritime history, ideal sailing conditions and an important role in international competitive sailing. The coastal town hosted the America’s Cup from 1930 to 1983 and continues to attract sailors from around the globe to its annual sailing events.

Sailing in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. (DREAMSTIME/TNS)

Newport has been a longtime training hub for Olympic and professional sailors, and there’s nothing like moving under the impressive Newport Bridge, the longest suspension span in New England.

Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Md.

Sailing in Annapolis is a major part of the city’s identity, other than being the location of the United States Naval Academy, where future naval officers are trained in the art. Located where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the area offers easy access to both open water and protected coves, making it a sailor’s haven.

The bay’s deep navigable waters make it ideal for recreational and competitive sailing, and the destination hosts numerous sailing and regatta events and boat shows throughout the year.

Charleston, S.C.

This southern belle consistently ranks as one of the top places in the U.S. for sailing, offering incredibly picturesque views. With its historic charm, great sailing conditions and a vibrant maritime culture, it’s only natural that sailors want to be out on the water.

Charleston has some top-notch marinas and yacht clubs, sailing schools and charters, and the College of Charleston sailing team is nationally ranked. My favorite time to sail is at day’s end with an impressive combination of historic skyline, calm harbor waters and glowing sunsets over the Charleston Peninsula, creating an unforgettable experience.

Florida Keys, Fla.

The Florida Keys are home to the only barrier coral reef in North America and the third largest in the world, and sailing here is a tropical dream. The Keys’ multihued waters, warm trade winds and laid-back island culture make for a paradise without having to venture further into the Caribbean with a passport.

Stretching over 129 miles from Key Largo to Key West, the island chain with more than 800 keys offers countless places to sail, anchor, dock and explore. Constant trade winds, shallow warm waters (especially on the Gulf side) and easy access to snorkeling, diving and fishing right off the boat make the Florida Keys a popular sailing destination.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Known for its mild weather, rich maritime history, picturesque coastline and vibrant sailing community, Santa Barbara is a haven for sailors of all levels. Affectionately known as “The American Riviera,” this jewel of the California coast’s mild winds, calm seas and near-constant sunshine makes for picture-perfect sailing conditions.

Those into competitive sailing can join in the adventure on Wet Wednesday races at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, a beloved tradition in the sailing community. The region also hosts several regattas and sailing festivals throughout the year.

Finger Lakes, N.Y.

This region consists of 11 glacial lakes and one Great Lake (Ontario), making it a superb destination for the sailing fan. Visitors can choose from a number of sailing companies or use private charters such as Sail True Love out of Watkins Glen and Sail Seneca from Geneva.

The lakes are long and narrow, creating consistent and moderate wind channels that funnel down the length of the lake, making for reliable sailing conditions. Many of the Finger Lakes are deep and clear, good for keelboats, helping to avoid hazards like submerged rocks or sudden shoals. And it’s hard to beat the views, with waters surrounded by hills, vineyards and charming small towns.

San Diego, Calif.

America’s finest city, as it’s often called, is home to almost year-round picture-perfect weather, reliable winds and a stunningly picturesque and protected sheltered bay with easy access to the open Pacific.

San Diego has a long naval and maritime history, which means sailors will not only get great views of the city, Embarcadero and Coronado Island from the water, but also a myriad of U.S. Navy ships. It’s also a great chance to view gray whales, blue whales, dolphins and a slew of various seabirds.

With its vibrant racing and cruising community and notable yacht clubs, this Southern California gem is a true sailor’s city.

San Juan Islands, Wash.

Located in the Pacific Northwest, the San Juan Islands, with more than 170 islands and reefs, are a hidden gem for sailors seeking peaceful tranquility while surrounded by stunning landscapes and quiet coves. Yet they are still considered one of the top sailing destinations in the region.

Situated in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the islands offer calmer seas, less wind and rain than the outer coast, ensuring smoother, safer sailing. Sailors regularly spot seals, sea lions, porpoises, bald eagles and orcas, especially around San Juan Island.

San Francisco, Calif.

An individual sail might be a challenge here unless you’re a skilled sailor or racer, due to the bay’s strong winds and currents. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the water by a guided catamaran.

Seeing the City by the Bay skyline via water is a rewarding experience, as is sailing beneath one of the world’s most recognizable bridges and past the haunting site of the abandoned Alcatraz Island. You’ll encounter calm waters turning gusty, choppy and tide-driven, but it’s all part of the fun. The city hosts world-class regattas including the America’s Cup and SailGP events.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Sailing the cerulean waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands provides an exhilarating, authentic Caribbean experience without needing a passport. It’s best to hire a boat captain for the day or take a catamaran sail, as you would need a passport to enter British Virgin Island waters.

The three islands making up the U.S. Virgin Island chain are only a few miles apart, making for easy navigation and line-of-sight sailing. Warm water temperatures and steady trade winds make for nearly perfect sail conditions, and the crystalline waters with their colorful, stunning coral reefs and tropical fish make for amazing snorkeling or diving conditions.

©2025 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

19 Aug 2025

A viral cafe in LA’s Little Tokyo brings an epic anime series to life

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By Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The Cortez family piled out of their car and stretched their legs. Finally, after an hour and a half drive from their Long Beach home, they had made it to Little Tokyo — specifically, to One Piece Cafe.

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“I was just sitting in the car like, ‘I’m going to be at the One Piece Cafe,’” said Cammy Cortez, who was introduced to the popular manga and anime franchise by her older brother and now runs a “One Piece” fan account on X. “It’s going to be a good day.”

Timed to the Los Angeles Anime Convention, the largest exposition dedicated to Japanese pop culture in North America, the new permanent restaurant is the second official location of One Piece Cafe, in collaboration with Toei Animation, from Andy Nguyen, a serial entrepreneur behind several themed restaurants. The first One Piece Cafe opened in Las Vegas in May 2024.

“One Piece” follows the adventures of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of becoming the Pirate King, and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they seek the “One Piece” treasure. Fans of the anime have flocked to the Little Tokyo storefront, eager to try Japanese dishes inspired by “One Piece” characters like Sanji’s “Diable Jambe” Chicken Katsu Sando, with 24-hour brined chicken served on sweet honey milk bread, and Zoro’s Onigiri, in honor of the character’s love of rice and a nod to his precision as a swordsman.

The interior dons a nautical theme, with walls that mimic the wooden deck of a pirate ship and characters depicted inside portholes. Branded merchandise includes Luffy’s signature straw hat, themed key chains and even a “Wanted” license plate. Drinks, ranging from slushies to matcha horchata, come in collectible cups.

A lunch crowd at One Piece Cafe in Little Tokyo. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

“It’s not [like] just they slapped the name ‘One Piece’ onto a random restaurant,” said customer Imelda Cardenas. “They really did it justice with the interior and the menu, and the merch they sell inside is really great too.”

Initially premiering in 1999, the “One Piece” anime has 1,136 episodes and counting, with ardent fans deeply immersed in the lore. The manga, by creator Eiichiro Oda, is the bestselling manga of all time. New audiences were also introduced to the franchise in 2023, when Netflix released a massively successful live-action rendition of the anime.

“If you’re a fan of ‘One Piece,’ then you think it’s the best anime of all time,” explained Karime Benmbarek, who came with his older brother Yassine from Northridge to experience the Little Tokyo restaurant. “Even if you’re just a chill fan, you still feel the love through the community.”

Restaurants themed around Japanese pop culture have recently gained footholds in L.A., with Gudetama Cafe and Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe — both within the Sanrio universe — opening in 2024. Local excitement for “One Piece,” however, seems to be approaching the mainstream. In June, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted a One Piece Night, featuring a limited edition “One Piece” card drawn by Oda. The Los Angeles Lakers collaborated with “One Piece” for their February matchup against the Clippers; exclusive merch from the match now resells for up to $250.

A queue forms at One Piece Cafe in Little Tokyo. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

“‘One Piece’ has a pretty big community, and especially with the Lakers and Dodgers collaborating with One Piece, L.A. is bringing anime into their culture as well,” said Yassine, who immediately alerted his younger brother after seeing a TikTok about the restaurant opening. The brothers bond over watching the show and, lured by the chicken katsu sandwich in particular, quickly made a plan to visit in person.

Karime, who tried the chicken katsu sandwich and curry, said, “I’d definitely come back — if my brother can take me.”

Mighty Meats Pirate Platter of orange sauce chicken pops, Korean BBQ-style ribs, Kurobuta sausage and L.A.-style galbi with a side of rice. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

As anime, manga and other elements of Japanese pop culture have become mainstream, the understanding of Little Tokyo as a place where people can engage in those interests has also skyrocketed, said Kristin Fukushima, the executive director of Little Tokyo Community Council. This interest in Japanese subcultures — evidenced in the virality of One Piece Cafe — can have a positive impact on other small businesses in Little Tokyo.

After the Benmbarek brothers finished their meal, they planned to make a day of wandering through Little Tokyo. Another group of friends planned to hunt down a collectible in the nearby shops after visiting the restaurant.

“If you become more into anime and manga, that means you’re seeing depictions of not just culture, but also food,” Fukushima said. “So you have more people knowing what real ramen is versus the Maruchan instant ramen, or people who want real sushi and not just California rolls that they can buy in Ralphs.”

“I think it’s just a growing familiarity with what Little Tokyo has to offer,” she said. “Like, how do I further participate in this?”

Sanji’ s“ Diable Jambe” Chicken Katsu Sando with Robin’ s Flower-Flower Power Refresher, left, and Dragon Fruit Strawberry Punch. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

The timing of One Piece Cafe’s opening comes as Little Tokyo is emerging from June’s ICE protests. Located minutes from City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center, Fukushima said many small business owners found themselves in a “lose-lose situation,” with images from the local news keeping people away from downtown out of fear.

Fans of “One Piece,” with its themes of friendship and freedom, are primed to be attuned to these tensions.

“I really like how ‘One Piece’ has a lot of nuanced messages about government powers and how oppressed people can come together,” said Daniel Orozco, who first learned about the restaurant at Anime Expo. “It’s really cool and especially relevant right now with everything going on politically.”

A lunch crowd at One Piece Cafe in Little Tokyo, on Friday, July 18, 2025, during their soft opening. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Cardenas started watching “One Piece” during the pandemic and quickly caught up by watching 12 episodes a day. Describing that time, she said, “Everything was really scary and uncertain, and people just wanted answers and a distraction.”

“There’s a message of hope in ‘One Piece’ because the protagonist Luffy wants to be the Pirate King, but underneath it all he’s just fighting for justice,” she said. “There’s a lot of symbolism that can be taken into the real world.”

One Piece Cafe is located at 241 S. San Pedro Street and open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.