Jim Newton

What this tragedy will not raise is the accusation that government failed those most in need. In this case, it is a reminder that all of us, regardless of wealth or station, require the services of each other and our government.

As Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass begins the second half of her term, her work is about to get a great deal more difficult, and the coming year may test her formidable energies.

A proposed warehouse development across the street from a Lincoln Heights school brought the mostly Latino Los Angeles neighborhood together. Last week they notched a key victory, displaying the value of community organizing for a just cause.

A controversial warehouse development across the street from a Lincoln Heights elementary school is pitting commerce against a Los Angeles community, and testing the city's values in the process.

The effort to keep Los Angeles police out of immigration enforcement is neither new nor liberal. It has its roots deep in LAPD’s history, when a very conservative chief headed the department and Jimmy Carter was in the White House.

As a red wave overtakes the nation's political system, Los Angeles County voters sent a signal that liberal policies to address homelessness are still desired with Measure A poised to pass.

CalMatters contributor Jim Newton reflects on his interactions with Kamala Harris over the years, and the qualities that helped her stand out during her time in political office in California.

Not long ago, the important work of prosecuting crime in Los Angeles County was managed by moderate, sober leaders. How, then, is it that voters face a choice between two dramatically less capable candidates than those who preceded them?

With Measure A, Los Angeles County voters will have a chance to express their view of the progress being made on homelessness and elected leaders like Mayor Karen Bass who have made it a defining issue.

As California law enforcement struggles with recruitment and poor morale, the new pick for Los Angeles police chief believes restoring relations between officers and the public is the solution. Departments across the state need his approach to community policing to work.