I bet @californiajoe.bsky.social would find this thread interesting…

50 years ago, Los Angeles defended law enforcement abuse—and created a precedent that Trump is now using to strangle California and the nation, writes @californiajoe.bsky.social. zps.la/4qQDrh9

Congrats to California Forward on the launch of its Resilience District Incubator. Ned Resnikoff also has a terrific blog post explaining the flexibility and potential of this tool. cafwd.org/fiscal-resil...

Apply by TONIGHT to be in Rewrite LA’s Sat. 12/13 10am assembly downtown. They’ll pick applicants by lottery. Participants will learn, deliberate & produce recommendations for the City’s Charter Reform Commission: rewritela.org/deliberate#registration

My Zócalo column @sfchronicle.com this week is about Adolph Lyons, who was lucky to survive an LAPD police chokehold in 1976. LA defended the police—and still does even though Lyons' court case is now used to defend federal kidnappings of our neighbors. www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

In 1976, an LAPD officer put 24-year-old Adolph Lyons in a chokehold. 50 years later, Californians, and the rest of the country, remain trapped in that same chokehold. My Zócalo column @vcstar.bsky.social @usatodayopinion.usatoday.com network www.vcstar.com/story/opinio...

The U.S. withdrawal from a whole host of international organizations, and in particular climate-related ones like the IPCC OR THE UNFCCC), removes the most powerful obstructionist force within them, which may enable them to finally hit the necessary stride. open.substack.com/pub/nilsgilm...

"Historically, transitional periods of great dislocation like ours are also times of heightened anti-political sentiments.... What makes today’s situation remarkable is how forcefully anti-political feelings have risen across many different countries, all at once." www.noemamag.com/a-new-anti-p...

Is there a government that L.A.’s fire victims can depend upon? Probably not. Which is why they should demand a government of their own. @californiajoe.bsky.social on the potential of the climate resilience district. zps.la/3YUxi7A

“It’s said that we live in a crisis of democracy, but it would be better stated that we live in a crisis of politics. Throughout the world, & especially in the West, an anti-political mood has taken hold.” —Anton Cebalo #politics #democracy #populism

“Set aside before industrial agriculture arrived in Iowa, pioneer cemeteries have become the prairie’s final resting place — one of the few where the land remembers what it once was.” – @christianelliott.me #prairie #prairierestoration #ecosystems

Great piece by Ben Wolinsky in today's @sfchronicle.com www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

New deadline, Dec. 31`, to register for the lottery to serve on a one-day deliberative assembly looking at the Los Angeles city charter—and what if any preamble or bill of rights should be included within it. Click the link or scan the QR code to register. www.democracy.community/stories/dead...

LA city residents! Deadline is Wed, Dec. 31, to sign up for the lottery to be a panelist in a Jan. 11 deliberative assembly on the city charter. This deliberation examines whether the charter needs a preamble and bill of rights--and if so, what should be in those. www.rewritela.org/deliberate

Democracy Local is delighted to announce our first ever Mayor of the Year, the most impactful local elected chief executive on earth in 2025. And yes, he's a 35-year-old South Asian rapper-turned-mayor. And no, he's not named Mamdani. www.democracy.community/stories/awar...

Check out our favorite artwork from the past year, created by artists from all around the world 🗺️

Harold Lasswell, 1941: "The purpose of this article is to consider the possibility that we are moving toward a world of 'garrison states' — a world in which the specialists on violence are the most powerful group in society." www.jstor.org/stable/2769918

TODAY'S THE DEADLINE to sign up to be a panelist in Rewrite LA's mini-assembly on Sunday, Jan. 11. Panelists will be selected by lottery. Big thanks to @jamuseum for hosting and to @MOCAlosangeles which will provide panelists with passes to the exhibition MONUMENTS. Register: rewritela.org

Ruh-roh! "What’s amusing about 'circularity' to market watchers of a certain age is that we’ve seen this movie before — but under a different name. During the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s, such deals were referred to as 'round-tripping.'" www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

If Los Angeles were to ad a Preamble and a Bill of Rights to its city charter, what should be in it? That's the question that a lottery-selected panel of everyday Angelenos will answer on Jan. 11. Please sign up for the lottery to be a panelist here www.rewritela.org/deliberate#r...

Check out our best longform journalism & essays of the year, with stories covering everything from the last days of social media to the unseen fury of solar storms. #reading #longform

Want to help rewrite the LA cty charter? Please apply now (deadline Friday) for Rewrite LA's one-day mini-assembly on Sunday, January 11. The mini-assembly is a body representative of the city, and selected by lottery. Questions? www.rewritela.org/deliberate#r...

What a way for L.A. to mark 10 years of Vision Zero, writes @paulthornton.bsky.social: with the arrest of a street-safety activist trying to make good on promises that the city failed to fulfill.

"This column is a waste of your time. Because it’s about voter ID. And even a minute spent debating voter ID is a minute lost forever." -my column @sfchronicle www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

“Like others who think differently & come from outside the insider establishment, Frank Gehry rebelled against the custodians of proper & hallowed ways.” —Nathan Gardels #frankgehry #architecture

This is appalling — and bad for the Jews www.propublica.org/article/ucla...

Ankara and Denizli, two Turkish cities, are among the 4 finalists to be the next European Capital of Democracy. democracylocal.substack.com/p/2-turkish-...

BREAKING NEWS 2 Turkish Cities Are Short Listed for 'European Capital of Democracy' www.democracy.community/stories/news...

“AI companies use the future to justify the present, as though speculative benefits should outweigh actual, ongoing damages. This temporal shell game, destroying the world to save it, would be comedic if the consequences weren’t so severe.” — @jamesosullivan.bsky.social #agi #superintelligence #ai

Twice actually, if we are counting the Kavanaugh stops

Rep. Grijalva says she was pepper-sprayed by ICE

“History has repeatedly demonstrated that societies with inclusive political & economic institutions thrive & sustain themselves, while extractive societies, where wealth & power are concentrated at the top, ultimately fragment & fail.” —Nathan Gardels #democracy #politics

NEW at DEMOCRACY LOCAL. In our "Where in the World is @brunokaufmann.bsky.social ?" feature, the intrepid democracy reporter visits Copenhagen during local elections that produced a historic shift. www.democracy.community/stories/wher...

This GIVING TUESDAY, please consider a donation to Democracy Local's parent NGO, Democracy International, which hosts and supports our publication. www.democracy.community/donate

“An Obituary for the American Republic, 1789-2025 In Lieu of Flowers, Design a Replacement” Bracing and clear April column from @californiajoe.bsky.social It’s liberating to be told the truth, and we will build a better future! www.zocalopublicsquare.org/obituary-for...

A depraved and decadent Trump WH dinner for MBS was a stunning low for an American ruling class that's stopped pretending to carry a moral compass It was really a celebration of death - of democracy, of an overheating planet, and ultimately themselves. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ceos...

“As AI continues to advance, what will stop chatbots from using the vast knowledge in their training set about how humans think & act … against us in real life?” —Martin Skladany #aiguardrails #airegulation #ai

The media needs to rethink its role in protecting democracy — rather than just chronicling its demise, Peter Pomerantsev argues. #authoritarian #journalism #disinformation #media

Appalachia is a natural border between different Americas, defended by us Scots-Irish... Now gotta go make some hard candy and sew some coats for Christmas.

Could some of L.A.'s homeless service workers soon end up homeless themselves? In the first piece for our community forum "Soapbox," one such worker worries for herself and her colleagues.

Please register now for our free event tomorrow (7a Pacific, 10 Eastern; 4p Central Europe): How do bigger municipalities keep/extend their democracy? I'll be talking about LA, #CDMX and global cities. Other panelists from Lagos, Chennai, and Bangalore www.democracy-international.org/events/democ...

Celebrated novelist @kyliu99.bsky.social tells @futurologypod.bsky.social he believes AI will be a transformative technology like the camera was for motion pictures — it will herald a new art form "that allows people to play with subjectivities & to craft their own fictions."

In lieu of posting a #jobsday thread, sharing this bassoon video of the certified banger from #KPopDemonHunters. "Golden" - Huntrix #QuarantineHobby

Please read, and join me in supporting, Golden State, a terrific and brand-new journalism project focused on California, from veterans of the LA Times. Congrats to Mariel, Paul and their growing team on the launch.

Seriously, if Julie Marquis -- healthcare journalist and Pulitzer winner -- has a devil of time with insurance, billing, claim denials, the dreaded "explanation of benefits" and all the other features of American healthcare, then the rest of us are truly screwed. From @goldenstatereport.bsky.social

Read every word & share with everyone you know. This is real life here in Chicago. Americans need to know this grotesque reality & stand with us.

“Societal collapse, though invariably catastrophic for elites, has often proved to be a boon for the population at large.” — @henrywismayer.bsky.social #risk #existentialdoom

“Like the Biblical Noah loading pairs of animals onto his ark, scientists & archivists are salvaging fragile bits of our world that are at risk of disappearing forever.” —Jess McHugh #preservation #conservation

“The Gulf’s delicate social contract, which has kept royal families in power since the end of the colonial era, is under threat as the globe teeters on the brink of climate disaster.” — @mariannedhe.bsky.social