SoCal Focus

I Am a Pedestrian in Los Angeles

What does it mean to be a walker in this imperfect city?

Look, Mom: A Few Grateful Words to the Ones Who Never Stop Caring

One day an imperfect son who has been raised by a perfect mother will give anything to have another brush of a kiss.

Race Matters and Why Donald Sterling Doesn't

Everybody's outraged about Donald Sterling's views of black people and happy that he's gone. But what he really represents is going nowhere.

Mayor Garcetti and the Politics of 'Meh'

Long-time political correspondent Bill Boyarsky was left wondering, "Where was the vision?" in Mayor Eric Garcetti's grand plan for Los Angeles.

What Does Los Alamitos Have That Your Town Doesn't?

Los Alamitos is the odd town out when it comes to the best small towns of California, which are typically at the beach or next to a vineyard.

A Tale of Too Many Cities: Blackness, or Post-Blackness, in America

Going back east to Rochester is both an escape from L.A. and an encounter with the brutally familiar.

Green Hornet, Canteen, Foxhole: The Smiley Villegas Story

He died the day before his 21st birthday fighting in World War II. Today, Riverside continues to honor him.

Now That it's Over, Here's Why I'm Not Earth Day's Biggest Fan

Now that the festivities are mostly over for the year, I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't think much of Earth Day.

Insuring Against Corruption in the Central Basin Water District

You can't buy insurance against the chaos in phantom governments like the Central Basin Municipal Water District.

The Leland Yee Effect and the 'Too-Busy' Asian American Voter

What effect does Senator Leland Yee's arrest and potential conviction have on the Asian/Pacific Islander community at-large?

From the Dust Bowl to the L.A. Suburbs

It wasn't easy to bring together a diverse community of working-class people in the early 1950s.

A Senseless Tragedy in Our Community and Yours

"He saw you as a candle to be lit so that you too could go out and make your mark on the world."