Thanks @marielgarza.bsky.social for having me on the @goldenstateorg.bsky.social podcast to discuss my piece on campaign $$ and why spending loads of it doesn't guarantee victory in Los Angeles and California. Often those who spend the most lose. An 18-minute listen www.youtube.com/@GoldenState...

Political candidates are always trying to raise boatloads of money. But in a surprising number of Los Angeles elections, and also in some California contests, the biggest spenders finish in second place... or worse. Check my @goldenstateorg.bsky.social piece. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

Think being a billionaire buys you an election in California? Meg Whitman and Rick Caruso would like a word.

In the 2022 city of Los Angeles elections, 5 candidates who outspent their opponents won, and 6... lost. Yep @rickcaruso.bsky.social was far from the only one. This happens more than you think in LA and California. My new @goldenstateorg.bsky.social piece. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

This week Los Angeles political candidates will reveal their latest fundraising numbers—but don't assume those with the most cash will roll. LA and California have many examples of lower-spending winners. My new piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...

For some Angelenos municipal code 41.18 is controversial. For Traci Park it's a tool. "Under no circumstances, in no universe, is it okay for kids to have to step over open-air drug camps on their way to school," she says. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/fo...

California's 34th Congressional District has 755,000 residents. Jimmy Gomez has represented the area since 2017. Can he win another election this June, against 6 challengers? I look at the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/crowded...

In 2017, Jimmy Gomez emerged from a field of more than 20 to win a Congressional seat. This year, six people are challenging him for the CA-District 34 post. I break down the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/crowded...

Traci Park recalled #Palisades residents trying to see their homes after the fire, but lines meant some could not enter. "Did we actually compound the trauma by making them sit there and wait and then not get them in?" she asked. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/fo...

Thanks @ktla.com News for having me on to discuss my @crosstownla.bsky.social story about 2025 crime statistics in LA, where #murders hit a historic low, and robberies and car thefts are falling, but at the same time shootings by LAPD officers are spiking. ktla.com/video/shocki...

Murders in the city of Los Angeles fell substantially in 2025, and there were also big reductions in other crime categories. However, the 47 times that police fired their weapons was a 62% yearly increase. Data and charts in my @crosstownla.bsky.social story. xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...

According to City Ethics Commission, Spencer Pratt is now one of 22 (!) people who have filed papers to raise money for the mayoral election. Not everyone will make the ballot to challenge Karen Bass. #election2026

With elections, budget tangles and more, 2026 is going to be a busy, sometimes messy political year in L.A. That includes on the Eastside. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social piece on 5 area pols to watch. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A year after the Palisades went up in flames, the pace of rebuilding begins to slow. xtown.la/2026/01/05/p...

The Eastside political scene in 2026 will be busy and often combative. People to watch include @asmmarkgonzalez.bsky.social, state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, and District 13 council rep @hugoforcd13.bsky.social. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

It’s hard to fathom a more politically challenging time than last year, but even if the world eases up, a bevy of Eastside politicians will be busy throughout 2026. Five to watch in my @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

In my latest election round-up for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social: a second candidate for a School Board seat; local pols hit the Karen Bass campaign kick-off rally; and District 1 council candidates do a year-end cash push. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

District 1 City Council rep Eunisses Hernandez has skipped 3 candidate forums in advance of the 2026 election. Story in @theeastsiderla.bsky.social asks if the incumbent and her 8 foes will ever debate in front of voters. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

There's a big problem with LAPD crime data—reports that should be available to the public are not, and there's no telling when they will be. My piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. @crosstownla.bsky.social www.golden-state.org/why-wont-the...

There's a big problem with supposedly public LAPD data—full information has not been available for more than 18 months. This means Angelenos can't crunch neighborhood-level crime data. My new piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. @crosstownla.bsky.social www.golden-state.org/why-wont-the...

In Monday's Campaign Notebook for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I detailed how @laschools.bsky.social District 2 Board Member Rocio Rivas is running unopposed. No longer. Boyle Heights native and teacher Raquel Zamora filed papers to run. Zamora finished 3rd in the 2020 Council District 14 primary.

Seven candidates for the District 1 Council seat attended a Highland Park forum, but Eunisses Hernandez was not on stage. So Lou Calanche brought out a cutout of the incumbent, calling her a "cardboard councilmember." My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social coverage. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A few months ago, District 13 Council rep Hugo Soto-Martinez appeared to have a free ride to a second term. That has changed, as 4 people are now trying to topple him. A quick look at the race for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

For those keeping track, election day in Los Angeles (and, yes, the rest of California) is 6 months from today--on June 2. Angelenos will vote for mayor, city attorney, controller & 8 council seats. My recent Westside Current look at 5 compelling races. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

The unexpected asterisk of watching a kid play high school football—during the season, you see a lot of different parts of Los Angeles. My piece for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/education/ea...

A season of watching the Eagle Rock high school football team took me across the breadth of Los Angeles, from Woodland Hills to South Gate and beyond. I broke it down for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/education/ea...

Six months from now, mail-in ballots will be in homes across California, ahead of the June 2 election. L.A. residents in particular have a clutch of intriguing contests. For Westside Current I look at 5 of them. #Election2026 www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

As the 2026 elections approach, something unexpected is happening—the city of L.A. has a hefty batch of competitive races, from the mayoral contest to a 2-person Council District 11 battle. And there's much more. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/elections/op...

Ample criticism of Eunisses Hernandez at CD1 forum. "We have not had leadership for three years,” said Lou Calanche. Raul Claros said his CD1 Coalition has "pretty much been the de facto council office." Hernandez didn't attend. @theeastsiderla.bsky.social www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

Six candidates attended a recent District 1 City Council forum. When the moderator announced “We have not heard from Councilperson Eunisses Hernandez,” the crowd booed. Hernandez team said she had “previously scheduled commitments.” @theeastsiderla.bsky.social www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

The six Council District 1 candidates who attended a forum last week had differing ideas on how they would operate if elected. But all agreed on one point: incumbent Eunisses Hernandez has not delivered and needs to go. My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

The @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social triumph has people asking what repercussions the Democratic Socialist's win will have on other cities, including Los Angeles? A better question: How did past L.A. elections shape the NYC contest? My UCLA Blueprint story. blueprint.ucla.edu/sketch/from-...

Excited to have my first piece published on the new @goldenstatereport.bsky.social. I looked at the verrrrrrry expensive Convention Center renovation. A lot to unpack. goldenstatereport.substack.com/p/las-26-bil...

County Supervisor @lindseyphorvath.bsky.social led the efforts to approve Measure G, and yank county $$ from LAHSA—those 2 big wins are 2 more than many politicians get in their entire career. But with the spotlight comes scrutiny. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/supe...

At Occidental College's Canine Intelligence Lab, Dr. Zachary Silver runs dogs through tests and puzzles, studying how they navigate social situations, while also providing them “cognitive enrichment.” My @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

On the Only in LA front, an Occidental College professor operates a Canine Intelligence Lab. Yes, it's as cool and unique as it sounds... with some serious research. Check my new @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

Dr. Zachary Silver founded the Canine Intelligence Lab when he joined Occidental College two years ago. I dropped by the fascinating project for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

You may have a good dog, but is she or he a smart dog? The Occidental Canine Intelligence Lab has tests and puzzles to find out. Details in my @theeastsiderla.bsky.social story. www.theeastsiderla.com/neighborhood...

“Unfortunately the city government we pay for does not live up to the high standards of the people who live here,” Austin Beutner said, explaining why he is challenging Mayor Karen Bass in next year's election. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/breakin...

Despite his wealth, Austin Beutner said he will not be using personal funds as he challenges Karen Bass for mayor. He plans to raise money from donors. More in my Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/breakin...

In 2022, Austin Beutner voted for Karen Bass. Now, feeling Los Angeles is "adrift," he's running against her. We discussed his attempt to unseat her for Westside Current. www.westsidecurrent.com/news/breakin...

Los Angeles green lights a $2.6 billion Convention Center overhaul after struggling with a $1 billion budget deficit. And the city went from 1,647 threatened layoffs to 0 pink slips This is a moment of mixed monetary messages. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

With a deep city budget deficit, tariffs, ICE raids and more, it's like the Four Accountants of the Apocalypse have stampeded into Los Angeles and plan to stay a while. But there's still big $$ for a Convention Center overhaul. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Is L.A. in a dire financial state, with elected officials kicking the can further down the road? Or do no layoffs and a Convention Center overhaul indicate that things were never nearly as bad as they seemed? I'm confused. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Turning a former Macy's in Eagle Rock into a Home Depot would create jobs and activate a dead space. But District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has 'strong opposition' to the plan. So what happen? My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

District 14 council rep Ysabel Jurado said "Home Depot has no place in Eagle Rock." Not everyone in Eagle Rock feels the same way, saying the store could fill long-dead space in Eagle Rock Plaza, and create jobs. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Council rep Ysabel Jurado has voiced 'strong opposition' to a new #HomeDepot in Eagle Rock. Some cheer the stance. Others worry about city officials making support for a project contingent on someone sharing their politics. My Westside Current column. www.westsidecurrent.com/opinion/colu...

Did you hit a pothole near a freeway entrance in Boyle Heights, or on Wayne Avenue in Los Feliz, or on Collis Avenue in El Sereno? If so, you were not alone. For @theeastsiderla.bsky.social I look at where the Eastside potholes pop up. @crosstownla.bsky.social www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...

A few months ago Los Angeles leaders were touting a year-over-year #homicide rate decline of over 20%. That's evaporating. According to LAPD Compstat, city has recorded 209 murders through Sept. 20. Last year at this time it was 215. lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/lapdonlineme...

If #Prop50 passes and California gets new Congressional lines, then @hildasolis.bsky.social will seek to return to the US House. She'll be touting some of her moves on LA's Eastside. My story for @theeastsiderla.bsky.social. www.theeastsiderla.com/news/governm...