Long chronological scroll of articles:
Why is LA Public Press focusing on Southeast LA?
Metro no longer considering Lyft to run LA County bike share
‘A good start, five months later:’ Historic Filipinotown residents push for Inside Safe promises to be kept
LA DA Gascón promised to prosecute killer cops. Only 1 has been convicted
LA District Attorney George Gascón has continued to tout prosecutions of officers, but the cases rarely result in significant time incarcerated.
Anyone can file a public records request in LA. Here’s how to file yours
It’s Sunshine Week. To celebrate, LA Public Press contributor Maylin Tu writes about how you can file your own records requests.
East LA Area Planning Commission halts new development in contentious vote
The East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission passed a contentious motion on Wednesday night to halt the demolition of a rent-stabilized Boyle Heights building.
One year in: The future of Los Angeles and your LA Public Press
What we’ve accomplished in our first year of work.
Holly Mitchell is the first LA County Supervisor to call for a ceasefire in Gaza
Mitchell, who represents much of West and South LA, is the first on the LA County Board of Supervisors to explicitly urge a ceasefire.
LA Housing Department head to resign her post after weeks of tenant protests
Before resigning, LA Housing Department General Manager Ann Sewill faced criticism and protests from tenants for how she handled various housing issues.
Why does LA have so few cooperative markets?
Cooperatives are common in some other US cities, but not in Los Angeles.
Political newcomer Ysabel Jurado surges ahead of incumbent de León
Since election day on March 5, the results have shifted significantly. While many people voted on election day, many LA residents opted to mail in their ballots and ballots are still being counted by the LA County Registrar-Recorder.
Alex Villanueva loses bid for LA County Supervisor, falsely denies election results
Alex Villanueva trails behind incumbent Janice Hahn by an almost 30 point margin.
This Echo Park mural shows the history of the neighborhood
A group of locals in Echo Park came together to save and recreate a mural they felt celebrated their neighborhood.
A few votes could decide how the LA City Council District 14 race plays out
Ysabel Jurado is now 21 votes ahead of Miguel Santiago, with incumbent Kevin de Leon maintaining a first place spot. The vote is not final.
Former LA undersheriff admits he had a deputy gang tattoo
Former LA County undersheriff Timothy Murakami testified Thursday that he received the tattoo of the Cavemen deputy gang in the 1980s.
Los Angeles voters pass Measure HLA to improve streets
The final result of the election remains uncertified, but as of Wednesday, the measure was up by more than 70,000 votes.
Who won in the March Los Angeles City Council primary election?
While ballots are still being counted, three of the incumbents may win outright because they garnered more than 50% of the vote.
When will Los Angeles County election results be final? Not for a while
In LA County, there have been stunning shifts between what the results say as of election night, and in the weeks that follow.
LA County Supervisors oversee almost $50 billion. Here’s who’s running
Even if you’re represented by a city government – like the city of Los Angeles – you have a county supervisor who represents you.
LA officials said to call 211 during February storms. Calls went unanswered
Of the over 13,000 calls to its winter shelter line, 211 LA was only able to answer about about 44% of calls.
Why are two unions fighting over LAUSD’s 5th District seat?
In the race to represent LAUSD District 5 — which covers a large portion of Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) — the spending conflict is between two major unions.
Your guide to LA City Council District 14’s election
Going deep on who’s running, who they know, the money driving their campaign and how they’re spending those dollars.
Kevin de León’s council office sent a million-plus pieces of mail last year
The number dwarfs mail sent by all other Los Angeles City Council offices combined.
CD14 Guide: Teresa Y. Hillery
Teresa Hillery is a lawyer who wants to represent CD14 on the Los Angeles City Council.
CD14 Guide: Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas
Eduardo Vargas is a high school teacher running to be a socialist representative for CD14.
CD14 Guide: Wendy Carrillo
Wendy Carrillo is a California State Assemblymember who is running to represent Los Angeles’ 14th City Council District.
CD14 Guide: Kevin de León
Kevin de León is the incumbent councilmember representing CD14. He is running for reelection.
CD14 Guide: Nadine Diaz
Nadine Diaz is a healthcare professional and college teacher who lives in Boyle Heights, and wants to serve on the LA City Council.
CD14 Guide: Genny Guerrero
Genny Guerrero is a highly involved resident of El Sereno who wants to serve on the LA City Council.
CD14 Guide: Ysabel Jurado
Ysabel Jurado is a tenants’ rights attorney running to represent Los Angeles’ 14th City Council District
CD14 Guide: Miguel Santiago
Miguel Santiago is a California State Assemblyman who wants to serve on LA’s city council.
District Attorney George Gascón faces a lookalike field of “tough” competitors
Virtually all the DA candidates are running to Gascón’s right. They assert he is “soft” on crime.
Health concerns prompt LA City Council to reject changes at Van Nuys Airport
Residents believe that changes to the airport could lead to an increase in emissions.
Voting for an LA Superior Court Judge? Here’s what you should know
Finding information on candidates running for LA Superior Court can be challenging. Here’s what can help you decide.
Survey: Unhoused people in LA say police took their stuff with no plan
An overwhelming majority of unhoused people surveyed said their belongings were taken and that police forced them off of public property.
Dodger Stadium gondola clears first (but not last) regulatory hurdle
The project still faces more approvals, stiff opposition from some residents, and a potential lawsuit, as residents fear displacement and cost overruns.
Are LA city officials making a secret deal on Hillside Villa?
Tenants are afraid that the city will drop efforts to buy or seize their building in Chinatown.
Impacted by Exide? You can now report your complaints online
Over 4,980 properties have been cleaned up within the 1.7-mile radius of the Exide recycling plant in Vernon, after the now-closed facility contaminated miles of Southeast LA with lead. Now, residents with complaints and comments about the clean-up can submit their feedback online. An online public feedback system created for folks to report issues and…
After decades of environmental issues, Pomona is updating its zoning code
After 75 years, the city of Pomona is finally on track to make major changes to its zoning code this year for the first time since its initial creation back in 1949. The new zoning code is expected to be finalized around April.
After years of uncertainty, Bell Gardens is building a new aquatic center
The project has been marred in a financial and regulatory roller coaster due to previous uncertainty in securing funds for its construction.
Evicted from the home of the last family displaced by Dodger Stadium
Lupe Breard is being evicted from the home that once harbored the last family violently displaced to make way for Dodger Stadium in 1959.
Measure HLA would force the City of LA to follow its own mobility plan
Measure HLA, or Healthy Streets LA, would take away space from cars, but proponents say it will save lives.
LA tenant buyouts come with complaints, emergencies, & investigations
An analysis of new city buyout data by LA Public Press shows that tenant buyouts are concentrated in buildings with huge numbers of tenant complaints.
A zine for a city of renters from LA Public Press
A renters zine created in collaboration with the community, and distributed through schools and libraries, helps Angelenos better advocate for themselves.
How do I vote in LA County’s March 2024 primary election?
Mail-in voting is already underway in Los Angeles County; mail-in ballots were sent out starting on Feb. 5, and ballot drop-off boxes opened up on Feb. 6.
Almost 40% of sworn LA Sheriff’s Department staff live outside LA County
More than a third of over 9,500 sworn LA County Sheriff’s Department staff don’t live in LA County.
Hundreds show up for Lynwood’s fired union nurses
A Saturday rally in solidarity with nine nurses fired by St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood drew about 200 people.
Six candidates show up for CD 14 Forum in Boyle Heights
Both incumbent Kevin de León and Assemblyman Miguel Santiago were no-shows.
LAUSD pledged to electrify its buses by 2040. Here’s what happens next
Next year, at least one group of Los Angeles commuters might be the newest beneficiaries of the EV transition: LAUSD students.
Smogland Radio: Sleazy Huizy, who’s a bigger sellout than you?
The notorious former city council member Jose Huizar has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for taking millions in bribes from developers, selling out Boyle Heights, downtown LA, and the rest of his district. We went on a field trip to the sentencing, and this week on the show — we’re taking you there.…
Where to watch the LA City Council District 14 Debate
The forum will take place on February 10 from 10am to 1pm at Méndez High School in Boyle Heights and will be livestreamed by LA Public Press.
LA becomes the first U.S. city to outlaw digital discrimination
A Markup investigation in 2022 found households in L.A.’s poorest neighborhoods were disproportionately asked to pay high prices for slow internet service.
A senior fights to stay housed in his home of 30 years
Facing eviction after 30 years, Mike Balog says moving out would mean losing his community, part of his identity and having nowhere else to go.
Chinatown tenants at Hillside Villa are one step closer to affordable rent
A year and a half after LA City Council voted to explore the purchase of Hillside Villa, the process to keep people housed in that building might finally begin.
Will the City help Chinatown tenants? Emails show officials dragging their feet
CHINATOWN — When tenants of a large Chinatown apartment complex found out in 2018 that the covenant keeping their rents affordable would soon expire, they called on the city to help them fight enormous rent increases. Four years later, Los Angeles City Council committed to exploring a purchase of the building to keep tenants housed.…
Burbank is a city of renters. It’s looking to expand tenant protections in 2024.
BURBANK – Burbank is looking to revisit and strengthen the Tenant Protection Urgency Ordinance passed in 2023 after residents critiqued the city ordinance as too weak. Tenants mostly have taken issue with the way the ordinance deals with substantial remodel just cause evictions. This type of evictions was first introduced in the state Tenant Protection…
LA Housing Department displaced from office by landlord
The Los Angeles Housing Department closed its main office at 1200 West Seventh Street after its landlord opted to re-lease the whole building.
Lyft’s bid to run LA County Metro bike share delayed after union & cyclist scrutiny
Metro voted Thursday to delay consideration of Lyft’s bid to operate Metro Bike Share.
Former LA Sheriff Villanueva: sheriff’s gangs are just “subgroups”
Villanueva dodged subpoenas until 2024 – finally changing his stance on complying with the request to appear in front of the oversight commission.
Lawsuit reveals details of LASD deputy shooting off colleague’s tattoo
A deputy sheriff who lied about shooting his colleague’s gang tattoo off was promoted under former Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
The LAPD wants access to 10,000 cameras across the city
The new surveillance program calledLAPD Live would give police real-time access to public and private security cameras across the City of LA.
LA Mayor allowed Portable Hygiene program contract to fall through
Despite millions in allocated funding, the city has struggled to implement basic street-level services for unhoused constituents.
Black businesses in LA still face significant barriers to entry
Black business owners and entrepreneurs have been disproportionately affected by the recent spate of shop closures in LA County.
LA honors its unclaimed in the first public ceremony since the pandemic began
This year’s 1932 people and the thousands of others in previous years are honored by the many strangers who attend.
Outside the El Sereno Greengrocer, pastelitos for Palestine and the DRC
Searching for a way to support Palestinians and the Congolese, a collective of local artists, chefs and business owners organized a “food pop-up.”
LAPD officer says electing Gascon led to burglaries. There’s no evidence of that.
The comments made by a senior LAPD officer are reflective of how law enforcement officials and groups across LA county blame Gascon’s policies for crime in LA County. Experts say not only are these positions inaccurate, but they echo racist views about crime.
Why is Mayor Bass taking credit for a $30 million bus shelter loan she delayed?
Bass not only did not propose the $30 million loan for bus shelters, she delayed it, despite having the power to fast-track the loan for months.
As LA City Attorney targets the Figueroa Corridor, where will sex workers go?
Soto’s actions have prompted concern that dismantling the Corridor without providing any safe alternatives will push sex workers onto the street and into isolated, unlit, and dangerous areas, putting them at greater risk of rape and other kinds of violence.
Lack of translation halts East LA Area Planning Commission public hearing
The meeting was ultimately postponed by the commission due to lack of simultaneous translation for the attendees making public comments, many of whom spoke primarily Spanish.
Stronger tenant protections go into effect today in South Pasadena
South Pasadena’s new just cause evictions ordinance comes after months of tenant organizing and research.
Opinion: Sex workers in LA will win labor rights whether naysayers like it or not
We are living in a world that workers built. For instance, the Harbor Freeway – now known as the 110 – was built in the 1930s by construction workers, heavy equipment operators, cement mixers, engineers, and architects. The freeway was created as part of a public works program aimed at resurrecting our anemic economy after…
64% of Los Angeles city workers don’t live in the City of Los Angeles
Around 64% of Los Angeles city workers live outside the city, according to a new report from LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia’s office.
Want to give a general public comment at LA City Council? Just wait 5 ½ hours
Julia Orozco was more than exhausted by the time she got to Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday. But she pushed past the tiredness, because she was there to fight for her family’s future. In her purse was a statement that she had labored over in the early morning hours. With the holidays around the…
Jewish-led protesters shut down 110 freeway calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
Jewish demonstrators and their allies shut down the southbound 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles today, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Smogland Radio: Renter’s Hotline — Don’t underestimate seniors
This week, we’ve got the second edition of Renter’s Hotline, our tenant advice segment. This time, Dominique called in about an issue that her dad is having at his apartment building in Paramount, where the landlord keeps raising the rent on Dominique’s father and other tenants with housing vouchers. She got advice from lawyer Gina…
LAPD spends nearly $50 million annually on 17 helicopters
In the report released Monday morning, LA Controller Kenneth Mejia’s office called into question the money spent on the helicopter fleet.
Rep. Barbara Lee talks Senate run, housing, & Gaza ceasefire
The congresswoman sat down for a roundtable discussion with Latino journalists from across LA.
Pussy Riot brings punk opera protest to Echo Park
ECHO PARK — Onstage at the Echo, Maria “Masha” Alyokhina stands with her back to the audience. Images of a Russian penal colony flash on a large screen as she holds a plastic water bottle over her head, then pours the bottle’s contents onto herself — then another bottle, then another. Alongside Alyokhina, a co-founder…
‘It’s not right:’ LA Mayor’s tow-away plans rile Valley RV residents
An “Inside Safe” encampment sweep operation is planned for Wednesday morning.
LA Times workers demanded better Gaza coverage and condemned Israel’s killing of journalists—their bosses punished them
LA Public Press spoke with five Times journalists who signed the letter back in mid-November.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath made chair of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
After being elected to the LA County Board of Supervisors a year ago, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is the youngest person to ever chair the Board.
LA Supervisors go after ‘vanlords.’ They provided no data on how many there are
The LA County Board of Supervisors look into restricting so-called “vanlords” from selling and renting RVs in public streets. Interviews with unhoused people living in an RV community on Alameda Street suggest vanlords aren’t an issue there.
Emails show Traci Park removed toilets, showers, and handwashing stations across district
Since taking office, LA City Councilmember Traci Park has removed hygiene programs — including toilets, handwashing stations, and showers — for unhoused people across the Westside of Los Angeles. Park, who ran on a platform of clearing encampments, represents District 11, which in-part includes Brentwood, Mar Vista, Ladera, Venice, and Playa Vista. According to emails…
Community recall effort targets conservative school board in Temecula
Many in the middle-class suburban city say they’ve had enough of the divisive policies and edicts enacted by their school board’s hard-right majority.
Smogland Radio: A little journey across Los Angeles… together.
This week, six scenes from all over Los Angeles (okay, including one in Joshua Tree). Footage of a neighborhood council meeting, obtained through a public records request. An unusual guard animal in El Sereno. A renowned musician at the Día de los Muertos celebration on Olvera Street. Two different stargazing trips — one successful, one…
Elected officials across Los Angeles demand Biden pursue a permanent ceasefire
18 elected officials from the Los Angeles region sent an open letter to President Biden, calling for a “permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
In Hollywood 1,500 march to demand ceasefire in Gaza
Palestinians and Jewish Angelenos, along with allies, marched to Hollywood and Highland and demanded the U.S. government insist on a ceasefire.
Four LAPD officers pulled guns on unhoused men in Van Nuys
Fifteen members of the Los Angeles Police Department showed up to detain two Black men having an argument.
Smogland Radio: Every day you’re holding your breath
This week, we’re spending the show with two Los Angeles-area organizers on the fight for Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s relentless bombing campaign that has now killed more than 11,000 Gazans. Noa Kattler-Kupetz grew up in the conservative Jewish movement in Los Angeles, but now organizes with IfNotNow and is calling for a ceasefire…
County Supervisors vote to raise cap on rent hikes to 4% in unincorporated LA
LA County Supervisors compromise on a 4% rent increase cap through June 30.
Angelenos are protesting the violence in Gaza. Here are some upcoming events
On October 7, Hamas militants broke through the barrier that surrounds Gaza and killed more than 1400 Israelis, kidnapping more than 200 others, according to Israeli officials. In response, the Israeli government began an unprecedented attack on Gaza, bombarding them from the sky and later beginning a ground invasion. According to the Health Ministry in…
Cudahy is first city in SoCal to pass resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza
At a meeting that went late into the evening, the Cudahy City Council voted in favor of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, endorsing a resolution proposed by Rep. Cori Bush.
LA City Councilman John Lee sues Ethics Commission
Earlier in October, the Ethics Commission served Lee with a report accusing him of a slew of ethics violations.
Long awaited 323 Food and Flea brings the night market experience to East LA
EAST LA — The lobster fettuccine was delicious, if unexpected. A big carton takeout container of steaming pasta, smothered in lobster cream sauce, topped with crunchy asparagus and red bell peppers, served with a side of garlic bread. The dish was scooped up by the cook at the LAIdeal Burger stand at the 323 Food…
After suicide LA Sheriff’s Dept. mulls internet ban for deputies staffing jails
An Assistant Sheriff confirmed that deputies are evading internet restrictions by bringing in fire sticks or thumb drives loaded with TV shows and movies.
LA city councilmembers refuse to extend rent freeze, will allow 6% hikes
Councilmembers in the Los Angeles City Council Housing Committee voted to cap 2024 rent increases for rent-controlled housing at 4-6%.
Preliminary report shows the new zero-bail policy is effective so far
Preliminary report shows the new zero-bail policy has been effective at releasing low-risk people from jail with less than 3% rearrests.
Smogland Radio: There’s no place like home
This week, we’re spending the entire show with the residents of one encampment on the edge of Culver City. When they learned they were facing a sweep designed to displace them, the residents of the encampment decided to fight to stay there. They’d formed a community on Jasmine Avenue. And they felt safe on that…
Q&A with unhoused resident: ‘These are people’s lives. Aren’t you at all curious?’
As more return to homelessness than are housed in Inside Safe, an unhoused resident who has undergone sweeps in Los Angeles, and now lives in Culver City on what better public engagement should look like for people without permanent housing.
‘Substantial remodel’ — a legal loophole to evict tenants in LA
Landlords have claimed “substantial remodels” as a pretense to evict tenants. The South Pasadena City Council will be taking up the issue in Nov.
Southeast LA parents protest charter school amid environmental concerns
Teachers and parents say the new school will worsen traffic and question why an environmental review was not required.
A man died by suicide at Twin Towers while guards allegedly watched videos
An inmate died by suicide, while deputies who were supposed to be performing wellness checks were watching videos.