Los Angeles County

Amidst the destruction in LA, there are glimmers of hope, too. Angelenos everywhere have heard the call for aid and stepped up in remarkable, even miraculous ways.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass couldn't have prevented wind-propelled flames from igniting homes and businesses around the city. It isn't fair to blame them for it.

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.

Southern California’s disaster again demonstrates that while wildfires were once mostly confined to rural timbered areas during summer and fall months, a warming climate means they can and do strike anywhere and anytime, including residential neighborhoods in the middle of winter.

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.

Gavin Newsom began his governorship with promises of decisive action on key issues, homelessness among them. Despite billions of dollars in spending, the population has increased and the crisis remains a weapon for Newsom's opponents.

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.

Los Angeles County voters approved a ballot measure to overhaul the Board of Supervisors. San Francisco, on the other hand, picked a new mayor but voted down a more meaningful reform.

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.