NEW: The LAFD union plans to propose a ballot measure to increase sales tax a half cent — in perpetuity — to fund 30 new fire stations, buy new rigs, and add more than 1,000 firefighters and civilians to the force. It would raise about $10 billion by 2050 www.latimes.com/california/s...

L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia loves his corgis so much that he puts them on his website, his financial reports and his campaign signs. Now, his 'Sherlock Corgi' images are part of an unusual ethics complaint lodged by one of his rivals. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Huang could complicate Bass’ reelection bid, luring away left-of-center voters at a time when the mayor faces criticism over the Palisades fire, the budget and several other issues. The larger the pool of candidates, the more work Bass will have to do to avoid an expensive runoff campaign.

Could she be LA's Mamdani? Rae Huang, a community organizer, announces her mayoral campaign. with @davidzahniser.bsky.social

A developer tried to quietly open an RV park in a single-family neighborhood. The pushback has been fierce

On an 11-2 vote, the City Council approved a $2.6-billion expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center, despite warnings that the project will pull taxpayer funds away from essential city services. w/ @noahmgoldberg.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

Five months ago, L.A. city leaders announced plans to lay off 1,600 workers to close a $1-billion budget gap. On Tuesday, after months of salary talks with city unions, Mayor Karen Bass said every layoff has been avoided. @noahmgoldberg.bsky.social has the story www.latimes.com/california/s...

Have you seen one of the "Save Our Services" campaign fliers around L.A.? Here's what's going on with those www.latimes.com/california/s...

Immigration agents reportedly handcuffed, detained and drew their guns on a student outside Arleta High School in a case of mistaken identity, officials said. www.latimes.com/california/s...

L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said the battle between business and labor is raging out of control, and no one has brought the parties together to reach a compromise. “In the absence of that, everyone is taking matters into their own hands," she said. www.latimes.com/california/s...

The year is 2001 and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is talking about why it's more important to focus on the practical business of mailing out three DVDs at a time to consumers (who then mail them back) than it is to make something "cool" like streaming movies of the Internet

I wrote about the no-good, very messy divorce between the city-run L.A. Zoo and its non-profit partner of more than 60 years, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. At stake is a $50 million endowment both sides claim is theirs www.latimes.com/california/s...

The DOJ said Trump won the 2024 election on a platform of deporting "millions of illegal immigrants." By passing a sanctuary city law, L.A. politicians sought to “thwart the will of the American people," the lawsuit said. w/Brittny Mejia & @noahmgoldberg.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

The numbers don't lie: Data shows most nabbed in L.A. raids were men with no criminal conviction, picked up off the street. Great work by @racheluranga.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

This past year legal payouts reached their highest levels ever in the history of Los Angeles — $289 million. The year before was also a record. We looked into what is driving the record payouts and how it is contributing to LA's fiscal crisis. www.latimes.com/california/s...

With federal officials keeping the city in the dark on immigration enforcement actions, City Council members and the mayor sometimes rely on the rumor mill. www.latimes.com/california/s...

BREAKING: Mayor Bass has declared a local emergency and issued a curfew in downtown Los Angeles "to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting" as protests against Trump's immigration crackdown enter their fifth night. The curfew is from 8pm to 6am tomorrow, then could be extended.

L.A. City Council members spar with police chief over immigration protests

The L.A. City Council's budget committee took steps this week to save the jobs of more than 1,000 workers, cutting in half the number of city employees targeted for layoffs in Mayor Karen Bass' budget www.latimes.com/california/s...

Some of you may not have noticed that the cover art for Gov. Newsom's May Revision to the California state budget was generated with AI... But when you look a little closer, it starts to make sense.

Los Angeles' political leaders are looking to cut the size of the LAPD by another 300 officers, in hopes of avoiding layoffs of other city workers. The move would leave the agency with 8,400 officers by mid-2026, down from 8,700 this year and about 10,000 in 2020. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House could soon be closed to the public -- and lose its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- if budget cuts proposed by Mayor Karen Bass are approved. @noahmgoldberg.bsky.social has the details www.latimes.com/california/s...

The mayor's office's budget went up by $600,000 in the proposed budget, yet she said she reduced funding to her office. I tried to square the math in our politics newsletter www.latimes.com/california/n...

One of the more fun things I've written

Closing Norms? The iconic sawtooth Googie-style NORMS sign could give way to CANE'S as fast food chain Raising Cane's plans to operate their chicken finger business out of the iconic Norms La Cienega location starting in 2027. Preservationists are disconsolate.

California's precipitation is 137% above average for this date in the water year. Many of the state's reservoir have received a noticeable bump due to recent atmospheric rivers. We're tracking all things California water here: www.latimes.com/projects/cal... @latimes.com

Alright I'm here. You guys can have fun now.