"It’s a surprising role reversal, at least in image, with the traditionally plodding, state-sized county government looking suddenly more urgent and creative (but accident-prone) than the smaller and comparatively scrappier City Hall." My latest for CalMatters. calmatters.org/commentary/2...

Opinion | What California can learn from LA's hot mess era of governmental reforms

In a surprising role reversal, at least in image, the traditionally plodding L.A. County government looks more urgent and creative than L.A. City Hall.

calmatters.org

You'll see that a couple of council offices including the chair of the Public Safety Committee, CM John Lee, bankroll, with district funds, the cameras for LAPD divisions in their districts. Lee's district pays for 100 Motorola ones. bsky.app/profile/repo...

Elizabeth Chou@reporterliz.bsky.social · 3w ago

This chart might be helpful to get a sense of what ALPR cameras are out there, and it's not just Flock. There is also plenty, and way more, from Motorola and Axon. The latter, Axon, has a partnership with Flock, though, that concerns people.

Los Angeles, weak mayors, and 1920s crook Charlie Crawford lareported.org/how-to-not-g...

How to not get things done in L.A.

By Robert Greene Even a strong mayor can't overcome a weak city. I was struggling with a dysfunctional parking meter in a city-owned lot, and complaining about it perhaps a little too loudly. I looked...

lareported.org

No, Los Angeles isn’t a weak-mayor town. So why don’t we elect stronger mayors? lareported.substack.com/p/los-angele...

How to not get things done in LA

Even a strong mayor can't overcome a weak city.

lareported.substack.com

There is a full house today with more than a 100 people signed up to speak at the charter reform hearing. CM Eunisses Hernandez, who is pressing for police reforms, and CM Tim McOsker are here to present comments to their colleagues.

Elizabeth Chou@reporterliz.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Controller and progressive groups rally around police accountability and council expansion, CM Jurado speaks up for unhoused voters, and reactions to HUD pulling funds for homeless services, and more. LA Squawk Box for Friday, June 12, 2026 open.substack.com/pub/lasquawk...

Gov. Newsom wouldn't pick a favorite for governor. But he picked an astounding number of other electeds, including the A.G., sect of state and a U.S. senator (technically, 3 U.S. senators). My latest for CalMatters. calmatters.org/commentary/2...

Opinion | Newsom handpicked a generation of California politicians. Can they help him run for president?

An entire generation of California elected officials owe their current jobs and their political prospects to Gavin Newsom.

calmatters.org

Los Angeles County's tragicomedy of ballot errors heads to court. And maybe, to the ballot again. What's going on with Measures J and G: haynesfoundation.org/robert-green...

Red states are aggressively disenfranchising Black and brown voters for the third consecutive century, but sure let’s call for federal reforms because California is too slow.

New York Times Opinion@nytopinion.nytimes.com · 2mo ago

“In the case of vote counting, California Democrats are defending the indefensible,” the editorial board writes.

‪@reporterliz.bsky.social‬ is the public's eyes and ears on Los Angeles charter reform.

Elizabeth Chou@reporterliz.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Want a tee-up to the charter reform discussion at LA city hall? I spoke to Raphe Sonenshein, ED of one of the 1990s commissions, about the scandals that prompted the latest reform effort, some headline issues like city services/policing, and more. governancematterspodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-03-reth...

Want a tee-up to the charter reform discussion at LA city hall? I spoke to Raphe Sonenshein, ED of one of the 1990s commissions, about the scandals that prompted the latest reform effort, some headline issues like city services/policing, and more. governancematterspodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-03-reth...

We remember the fear. We remember the harm. We remember who showed up for each other. ❤️‍🩹 One year later, we carry that strength with us. What was meant to silence us only made us louder. Our fight continues. #webelonghere #somoschirla #lastrongerthanyesterday

EDITOR'S NOTE: "This U.S. Supreme Court’s majority has determined that the remedy to racial discrimination is itself a form of racial discrimination," Ashton Pittman writes.

Editor’s Note | Even Jim Crow Is ‘Colorblind’ Now Under This Supreme Court. I Am Not.

News Editor Ashton Pittman argues that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling gutting the Voting Rights Act “relies on feigned colorblindness to racist systems,” enabling even Jim Crow-style policies…

buff.ly

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' first-place finish was fueled by a broad coalition that included labor unions, business leaders, immigrant rights groups and the Democratic Party. “It was a frustrated, anti-incumbent electorate, and she weathered that storm,” said one expert. www.latimes.com/california/s...

How Mayor Karen Bass weathered a brutal campaign and won a spot in the Nov. 3 runoff

A broad coalition that included organized labor and business leaders helped Bass win a spot in the mayoral runoff, where she will face either Spencer Pratt or Nithya Raman.

latimes.com

The move rescinds a 2021 policy implemented by the Biden administration that required ICE to report to Congress and investigate deaths of detainees that occur within 30 days of their release.

ICE Will No Longer Report Deaths of Detainees Who Have Recently Been Released From Custody

ICE will no longer report deaths of detainees who have recently been released from its custody.

buff.ly

This electoral cycle, we uplift the power of our vote as a solution to win justice and liberty for our families. 🦋 Rededication is voting — we commit to taking the pain of this past year to ensure we elect leaders who will fight alongside us! ✊🏽 #LAStrongerThanYesterday #LAResists #Rededication

The AI industry super PAC responded to our reporting last night confirming that they ran the sock puppet accounts. This entire thing is so insane I am losing my mind over it. www.usermag.co/p/a-pro-ai-s...

A Pro-AI Super PAC’s Secret Meme Sockpuppets

Lonliness influencers, death of YouTube face, Airbnb robot cleaners, Suno addicts, George Santos Kalshi crimes, VidConization of Hollywood, why Alex Hormozi publishes 250 videos a day to social media

usermag.co

“We were organized and prepared to resist. We set the stage for the rest of the country.” @mayor.lacity.gov

“I remember the devastation of the scale of the invasion and the attack. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have to go through this in Los Angeles. I’m from El Salvador and have experienced civil war. It was similar to what I have witnessed as a child.” -Martha Arévalo CARECEN-LA

A year later: Was it all about protecting the rule of law? No, it was about wrecking it. calmatters.org/commentary/2...

Trump's military deployment in Los Angeles has little to do with the rule of law | Opinion

The Trump administration often flouts the law when deporting immigrants. Such disregard undermines the claim it seeks to uphold it in L.A.

calmatters.org

On the one-year anniversary of D-Day's desecration, when U.S. troops targted their own country, @gustavoarellano.bsky.social says both "Never again" and "Bring it on." Perfect. Thank you. www.latimes.com/california/s...

Commentary: A year after Trump unleashed his deportation machine in L.A., we can't let his goons win

We can't think the worst is behind us and we can't be inured to what happened and will happen again.

latimes.com

@jnewton100.bsky.social "Los Angeles is safer and more prosperous because of its immigrant population."

Robert Greene@robertlgreene.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Jim Newton: "About the only good thing to have come from ICE’s presence has been a mild drop in traffic as migrants, afraid to venture out, have stayed hidden at home." blueprint.ucla.edu/sketch/edito...

We gather this morning for Los Angeles, Más Fuertes Que Ayer / Los Angeles, Stronger Than Yesterday: Resistance, Reflection, and Rededication to Justice One Year After the Militarization and Inhumane Immigration Crackdown in Los Angeles. We will not forget. 6/6/2025.

Jim Newton: "About the only good thing to have come from ICE’s presence has been a mild drop in traffic as migrants, afraid to venture out, have stayed hidden at home." blueprint.ucla.edu/sketch/edito...

A year since L.A.'s D-Day in reverse, when the U.S. troops invaded their own country. Thank you, Joel Freeman. From Molly Selvin: blueprint.ucla.edu/sketch/neigh...

Immigration policy is health policy. And we're wrecking our health. From Jean Merl: blueprint.ucla.edu/feature/the-...

A question for the one-year anniversary of the assault on L.A.: Does it really matter if the backbone of Los Angeles' service economy is hunted, harassed and targeted for deportation? Yes. A lot. blueprint.ucla.edu/feature/rava... By @jonregardie.bsky.social

A year after the raids. Are we still wondering whether immigrants (legal or otherwise) take more than they give? Stop wondering and read jonregardie.bsky.social. blueprint.ucla.edu/feature/are-...

One year since the desecration of D-Day: When U.S. troops invaded their own country. blueprint.ucla.edu/feature/spec...

Xavier Becerra is in. The question now is whether Steve Hilton hangs on or Tom Steyer pulls off an improbable comeback. There's still an estimated 3 million (!) votes that need to be counted @jeannereporter.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

Democrat Xavier Becerra pulls ahead in California governor's race

Becerra, a mild-mannered career politician, was considered an underdog until the final months of the race. His November challenger is still unknown.

calmatters.org

California mayors rarely are elected governor. The notable recent exceptions -- Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Pete Wilson -- occured only after interim elected gigs that purged away the compromises of their mayoral terms. No one jumps directly from city hall to governor's mansion.

Yousef Baig@yousefbaig.bsky.social · 2mo ago

California’s big-city mayors seem like a natural fit for governor, yet they rarely make the leap, as Antonio Villaraigosa and Matt Mahan just learned @robertlgreene.bsky.social calmatters.org/commentary/2...