Patti Lopez has helped patients qualify for public health coverage for 23 years, but her meetings with clients have become increasingly discouraging. Rollbacks began last year because of federal Medicaid cuts enacted under Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill." capitalandmain.com/what-its-lik...

Big Oil's climate lies are fueling the insurance affordability crisis — and the costs are falling on disaster survivors and residents. A new bill from @scottwiener.bsky.social aims to make Big Oil pay. "We can’t allow Californians, our residents, our small businesses, to be left holding the bag."

We found that Jeff Bezos paid *zero* taxes in 2007 and 2011. In fact, he reported making so little in 2011 that he even claimed and received a $4,000 tax credit for his children. This is how he did it (published 2021):

LAPD reform gets tossed by Charter Reform committee, but some vow to bring it back thelareporter.la/p/lapd-refor...

LA County leaders want to make it harder to evict tenants targeted by ICE. But they can’t agree on how The Board of Supervisors passed a motion to raise the rent debt threshold in unincorporated areas and could extend protections countywide.

Inside the newsroom: Dave Lesher turned CalMatters into one of California’s most influential newsrooms — and launched new tools to make your government transparent. bit.ly/3ZdKPr6

I’m not sure what we’re expecting to happen when we don’t provide financial support to what are effectively small businesses w 80% fixed costs which have lost much of their customer base, and don’t have other revenue sources.

Plans for a $10 billion data center are moving forward in the Imperial Valley. It could consume almost double the amount of electricity that the entirety of Imperial County used in 2024. @korisuzuki.com @kpbssandiego.bsky.social www.kpbs.org/news/environ... h/t @kypetzl.bsky.social

These LA businesses are closing in solidarity with the nationwide anti-ICE strike: From bakeries to bars, businesses are denouncing the increase in violent federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota and LA. lapublicpress.org/2026/01/la-s...

TODAY at 4pm PT, I'm moderating a forum of leading candidates for California governor, all about climate change. Watch live here as we find out how Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell stack up: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsLc...

Residents of Kettleman City live surrounded by pollution. A composting facility handles human sewage waste. Particulate matter and diesel fumes from heavy freeway traffic in the air. And the West Coast’s largest hazardous waste landfill is just a few miles away bit.ly/3LFrLPs 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Water, water everywhere, and nary a foot of snow? Warm temperatures across the West are fueling low snowpack from California to the Rockies, which is not good for water supplies: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @ianjames.bsky.social

LA charter reform commissioners could decide Wednesday on whether to share private chats with Mayor, other electeds thelareporter.la/p/la-charter...

A data center boom is coming to the San Gabriel Valley. Residents had no idea LA County residents are being blindsided by proposals that may drain massive amounts of electricity and water. In Monterey Park, a single facility would use more power than the entire city.

🐦 The LA Reporter, Issue 15: What's getting voted off the island at the LA City Charter Reform Commission? thelareporter.la/p/the-la-rep...

Gov. Gavin Newsom included no new funding for local journalism in his budget proposal last week, walking back an August 2024 deal with Google to commit $175 million over five years to help the diminishing industry. bit.ly/4qNmdBg 📸 Rahul Lal

After the EPA found that ethylene oxide is 30 times more carcinogenic than previously thought, it updated regulations to protect the people who are most exposed to it. Now, the agency’s ability to do that for many air pollutants is under threat. By @lisalsong.bsky.social

As Trump erodes press freedoms, the resurgence of Mvskoke Media offers lessons on how to protect independent media.

“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”

Gavin Newsom's Delta water tunnel hit a courtroom setback, although it doesn't sound like a death blow: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @ianjames.bsky.social

One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal state officials say will help preserve dwindling groundwater and provide financial help for residents whose wells have run dry. www.latimes.com/environment/...

6 new laws affecting LA County students, from ICE raids to cell phones Schools must now follow new state rules on immigration enforcement, LGBTQ+ privacy, antisemitism, cell phones, bathrooms and drug education. Here’s what families need to know.

One year after Eaton Fire, Altadena’s small businesses fight to survive From buying burned lots to securing grants and reopening storefronts, Lake Avenue entrepreneurs are rebuilding — even as thousands of displaced residents remain unable to return.

Another blow for truth from @naomioreskes.bsky.social and colleagues. A great story from @hirokotabuchi.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/c...

A recently filed "Olympic Wage Initiative" ballot measure proposal appears to counter a recent effort to scale back an ordinance to raise hotel/airport worker wages. And ... it includes provisions to raise the wage for all LA workers' within LA city to $30 an hour by 2030.

California’s Westlands Water District approved a plan to convert huge amounts of San Joaquin Valley farmland to solar power: sjvsun.com/ag/westlands...

Learn about investigations into lead contamination after the 2025 L.A. Fires and how they can help communities prepare for future disasters, at Francois Tissot’s Watson Lecture. One of our favorite parts: it's totally free to the public! The full story: lataco.com/lead-contami...

LA County buried 2,308 unclaimed Angelenos last week — nearly 500 more than the year before. Since 1896, LA has held an annual ceremony in Boyle Heights to honor those who died without next of kin to claim their remains. bit.ly/4oY1b1z

"Water politics are not fun. Nobody wants to deal with them." Annie Snider of @politico.com talks with several people who explain why the Colorado River talks are at an impasse, and what they stand to gain or lose if negotiators can’t come to a solution. www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Omaha residents face a hidden danger: the lead in their yards. The Trump administration’s new guidance on high levels of the toxic metal in soil has put tens of thousands of properties in limbo. With @flatwaterfreep.bsky.social

Incompatible pumping allocations being considered by two groundwater agencies in north Kings County have prompted a blizzard of responses, and even some accusations, from farmers and multiple entities. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2025/12/11/s...

Been waiting for this to come out from colleagues Noah Garrison & Mark Gold of @uclaioes.bsky.social: The team investigated how much major suppliers spend on water from rivers and reservoirs in California, Arizona and Nevada. As covered by @ra-becks.bsky.social: calmatters.org/environment/...

LAPD is finally getting taken up by the LA Charter Reform panel. What took so long? thelareporter.la/p/lapd-is-fi...

At the very Southeastern tip of New Mexico bordering Texas and Mexico, a new AI data center is gearing up to be a greenhouse gas and air pollution behemoth, an additional water user in a drought-afflicted region, and a sower of community discontent.

How to report foul odors in your LA County neighborhood to air quality officials. Southern California residents can submit complaints about odors, asbestos, dust, gasoline dispensing and other air quality concerns to the district. If the air outside smells like rotten eggs, call the AQMD.

The LA County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve the mask ordinance, requiring law enforcement — including federal agents — to show their faces and visible identification during most public encounters. Whether the measure can be enforced is now expected to be decided by the courts.

California launches online portal to report federal agent misconduct The reports will be collected by the California Department of Justice to create a record of unlawful contact by federal agents and inform legal action the state may take to defend Californians’ rights.

“We are losing so much water that groundwater loss is driving up sea level rise and it is doing more damage than glaciers are in terms of sea level rise. So that’s a new one.” A great conversation with @jayfamiglietti.bsky.social on Water Talk out today www.watertalkpodcast.com/episodes/epi...

LAPD can continue to use military weapons, foam bullets and tear gas after City Council vote. The LA City Council voted 8-4 to let LAPD keep using foam bullets and tear gas despite documented misuse during this summer’s anti-ICE protests and over $50M in civil rights violation payouts last year.

California gas utilities are using your money to push gas on LA wildfire survivors. California’s utility regulator said it would eliminate ratepayer-funded incentives for gas appliances in new construction, but created an exception that allows rebates for them in wildfire rebuilds.

San Joaquin Valley farmers faced with drastic cuts to groundwater are finding some relief with the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, or MLRP. And more money can’t come quickly enough as landowners adjust to SGMA. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2025/12/03/s...

Violence over water is on the rise around the world. Researchers counted a record 420 water-related conflicts last year. Dozens of violent incidents occurred in Ukraine and Gaza. Water-related violence also erupted in countries including India, Iran and Mexico. www.latimes.com/environment/...

Putrid odors in this nook of South Gate has one resident calling it the “armpit” of the city. Residents have filed over 100 odor complaints citing smells like rotten eggs and warm garbage to air quality regulators. lapublicpress.org/2025/11/sout...

🐦 The LA Reporter, Issue 12: LA's homeless services on the chopping block This week, LA County short on Measure A $$ proposes gutting homeless services, LA panel tackling budget woes gets going, and a proposed measure would stick it to "overpaid" CEOs. thelareporter.la/p/the-la-rep...

He spent almost a whole day with me. I divulged more than I usually do, things about my personal life I don’t talk about. I appreciated him taking a sincere interest. So just want to say thank you @gustavoarellano.bsky.social for this feature. www.latimes.com/california/s... @lataco.bsky.social

A top environmental justice adviser to the California Air Resources Board just resigned, amid growing tensions between the powerful agency and its critics over air pollution rules that some researchers say are not grounded in rigorous science. insideclimatenews.org/news/2111202...

As the holiday season ramps up, many organizations have put together food giveaways for families struggling with food and nutrition insecurity. There are also opportunities for folks to volunteer with distributing and prepping groceries and food. lapublicpress.org/2025/11/food...

We finally have details on the Trump administration's plans to open the Pacific Coast to oil drilling: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @hayleysmith.bsky.social

The federal immigration raids are STILL happening in LA. National media might've moved on, but we're not. Support LA Public Press. 💪 givebutter.com/journalism2025

The LA Reporter, Issue 11: 'A matter of survival' This week, that includes a progressive challenge against Mayor Bass, rent hikes capped after two years organizing, LAPD wants $$ for Olympics and sweeps, and LA called to join charter civic assembly. thelareporter.la/p/the-la-rep...