Government
China's First Lady: Fashion Icon, Folk Singer, Military Leader
Peng Liyuan dazzled the world with her style and grace, but China's first lady is more than a pretty voice. » continue reading
'Birth Tourism,' Fair Path to Citizenship or Legal Loophole?
It may be good for tourism, but are these women more than sight-seers? Reporter Laura Ling finds there's a lot of vacancy at L.A. County's "maternity hotels."
» continue reading
Compton: Corruption, Incompetence, or Just Business As Usual?
Sweetheart deals, lucrative contracts, and unpaid loans: it's business as usual in one of Los Angeles County's poorest cities. » continue reading
As Bike Lanes Expand, Some Fear Traffic Will Only Get Worse
Cyclists are making progress in their demands for bike lanes, but some motorists aren't on the same track. » continue reading
The Iraq War: A Look Back
Ten years and over 100,000 deaths ago, the Iraq War began. Brian Rooney takes a look at a decade of conflict. » continue reading
10 Years After Start of War, Is Iraq Better Off?
"Washington Post" editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran, who chronicled his time in Iraq's green zone in a bestselling book, talks about the state of the country today. » continue reading
Candidates Garcetti and Greuel Move Forward to Runoff
The L.A. elections are over, and the mayor's race narrows. Brian Rooney has the post-election wrap-up. » continue reading
L.A. Elections: Looking Ahead to the May Runoffs
Many of the races in the Los Angeles city elections won't be decided until May. Here's a look at the next stage. » continue reading
With Reform Fervor in the Air, Local School Board Elections See Record Outside Spending
Huge amounts of money are flowing into the school board elections this year, and some of the "troops" don't even live here. » continue reading
Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel in Dead Heat for Mayor's Race
USC's Dan Schnur handicap's L.A.'s mayoral race with the most recent poll data. » continue reading
New Campaign Finance Tracker Helps You Follow the Money in L.A. Elections
It's no secret that money drives politics -- this year, perhaps, more than ever for Los Angeles. Now there's a way to follow the campaigns, dollar by dollar. » continue reading
Why the Sequester Will Not Ruin Your Life...Yet.
The sequester is here: $85 million in budget cuts go into effect at midnight. But how damaging will this seemingly impossible fiscal fallout be? » continue reading
How Will the Sequester Cuts Affect California?
Jason Sisney of California's Legislative Analyst's Office joins Val from Sacramento and outlines the effects of the federal sequester cuts on the Golden State. » continue reading
Why Don't People Vote in L.A.?
Los Angeles is one of the most important cities in the world, but when it comes to local politics, no one seems to care. Raphael Sonenshein explains why. » continue reading
DROP, the Billion-Dollar Pension Perk, Still Getting No Political Play
With the city facing a $200-million budget shortfall, the bloated police and fire pension perk is a conspicuous non-issue in the race for mayor and city council. » continue reading
'Sequester' Cuts Likely to Happen as Republicans Call White House Bluff
As "sequester" cuts loom, Democrats and Republicans continue to play the blame game. Aaron Blake has the latest from Washington, D.C. » continue reading
Hollywood, Unions, Voter Turnout and Other Variables in L.A.'s Mayoral Race
With only two weeks until the mayoral primary, the turnout -- and the candidates' plans -- remain uncertain. L.A. Weekly's Jill Stewart has the rundown. » continue reading
Climate Change Activism Heats Up
In the wake of fluxing extreme temperatures and some of the worst natural disasters in decades, protesters and politicians are taking action beyond the usual rhetoric. » continue reading
With DREAM Acts, Undocumented Students Coming Out of the Shadows
Several states have passed laws allowing undocumented students to achieve their goals of higher education, but these "DREAM Acts" are not without their critics. » continue reading
L.A. Says No 'Puppy Mills,' But Not All Pet Stores Are Rolling Over
The city council has passed an ordinance preventing the sale of "breeder" puppies in local pet stores. Not all shop owners plan to obey it. » continue reading
America's Favorite Gun, AR-15, Flying Off Shelves Amid Fears of Ban
Ever since the Sandy Hook shootings, the AR-15 has been flying out of gun shops at premium prices. » continue reading
Waxman: Obamacare 'Important, Landmark Piece of Legislation'
Obamacare kicks in at the end of the year, and California is prepping. Local Congressman Henry Waxman helped pass the law, and he talks to Madeleine about what's in store. » continue reading
Update: Community Colleges Seeing Progress, New Fears With Prop 30
The passage of Prop 30 is giving much needed money to California's community college system, but is it too little, too late? » continue reading
OC's Great Park: A Work in Progress or a Great Disappointment?
Irvine's Great Park was supposed be the Central Park of the West Coast. But after ten years and hundreds of millions of dollars spent, some say the result is greatly underwhelming. » continue reading
Congress Considering Immigration Reform, Tougher Road to Citizenship Likely
Congress is again considering immigration, and there are talks of giving undocumented immigrants a new path to citizenship. Will it finally become a reality? » continue reading
Bill Boyarsky: What Cities Should Be Doing for the Homeless
As Costa Mesa continues its struggle to address the needs of its homeless population, what should other cities be doing? » continue reading
President Obama Begins Second Term With Pomp, Parades, and Old Problems
With all the pomp and parades befitting the leader of the free world, President Barack Obama begins his second term in office with old fights -- and some new ones -- ahead. » continue reading
Update: County Employees Violated Policies, Faked Documents In Knabe Inquiry
Following our investigation into Supervisor Don Knabe's lobbyist ties, a government report reveals county employees faked documents and violated county policy. » continue reading
Obama's Inaugural Speech a Reminder He's Progressive
President Obama is the 17th chief executive to deliver a second inaugural address. History says most of those speeches don't measure up. So, how did Mr. Obama do? » continue reading
Unsung Hero of 7th and Broadway Puts an End to Downtown Ticket Trap
D.J. Prator witnessed countless drivers get unjustly cited for making an 'illegal' right turn. He decided to right this wrong. » continue reading
Crisis at L.A. Courts Has No End in Sight, Judge Says
Judge Michael Nash reports that L.A. County's already overburdened juvenile court system is only getting worse. » continue reading
Laura's Law Could Allow Forced Treatment for Mentally Ill
"Laura's Law" allows authorities to force psychiatric treatment upon persons with mental illness who threaten violence. Will more counties implement it after the Newtown massacre? » continue reading
Losing a Son to Mental Illness and the Courts
David Haldane made the difficult choice to put his son in a mental health facility after several violent episodes. But then, he says, the system failed him. » continue reading
How California Democrats Could Change Prop 13's Property Tax Rules
Democrats may now have the numbers to change one of California's "untouchable" laws. USC's Sherry Bebitch Jeffe explains the politics and the prospects. » continue reading
Possible Presidential Bid for Hillary Clinton in 2016?
Madeleine talks to New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor about the Secretary of State's political future. » continue reading
