The Metro board approved a new policy today requiring that 40 percent of the work hours on its major transportation projects go to low-income and other struggling workers. It is the first transit agency that uses federal funds for a targeted hiring policy, according to City News Service. more ›

Just a day after the FDA said that Lap-Band surgical centers and marketers needed more truth in its advertising about the hazards of weight loss surgery, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said it was stepping in to see if it could do anything to address the issue. more ›

A mailer sent by an independent political action committee on behalf of Bernard C. Parks lists, among other inaccuracies, dead people supporting his reelection. L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was also erroneously named as a supporter, backs Parks' opponent in the City Council race and has slamed the Chamber... more ›

Calling plastic bags "urban tumbleweed," L.A. County Sup. Zev Yaroslavsky was among the voters on the Board who helped put a sweeping ban on the items today, according to LA Now. Joining Yaroslavsky were Sups. Gloria Molina and Mark Ridley-Thomas, with Sup. Michael D. Antonovich opposing, and Sup. Don Knabe absent. more ›

Just a few months ago, Homeboy Industries had to layoff the majority of its employees. Times were tough and the money wasn't coming in. The move left around 330 workers, mostly former gangmembers learning new job skills -- Homegirl Cafe, Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Maintenance, etc. -- without much-needed intervention, social services and tattoo removal that was part of the program for many. Basically, "nothing stops a bullet like a job," as Father Gregory Boyle, the non-profit's founder, would say. more ›

As work crews hit the home stretch on finishing the first phase of the Expo Line between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City, one politician is calling for more accountability. Unlike many Metro projects, the Expo Line is currently under the control of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority and doesn't have any objective and critical oversight. more ›

In a split decision, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors today approved a boycott of Arizona over its controversial immigration law, SB 1070. The 3-2 vote means county employees cannot travel to the state unless "the county’s chief executive determines it would seriously harm county interests," according to the LA Times. "The boycott also calls for a divestiture of Arizona’s state and municipal bonds by the county’s pension fund." Mark Ridley-Thomas was the deciding vote when he joined Gloria Molina, who introduced the measure, and Zev Yaroslavsky in approving the measure. Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich voted no. “We need solutions, not boycotts,” said Antonovich. more ›

Los Angeles County is recognizing April as "Healthy Parks Month," a nation-wide celebration, after Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas urged the Board to recognize the endeavors of the Healthy Parks Program. more ›

Efforts to build the $1.7 billion Crenshaw Line will take another step Monday when exploratory drilling begins. The process to test below-ground surface conditions will be hailed by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at a press conference to mark the important project. more ›

more ›

The Obama Administration this week made changes to how applications to the federal government's major transportation grant program, New Starts, will be evaluated. For Los Angeles, this could be a game changing move. more ›

Recently announced news that LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was planning to give his offices a remodel that would cost $707,000 caused a public backlash, according to the Daily News. The project would use the funds to "add seven workstations, replace the ceiling system and recarpet his eighth-floor space in the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration," according to the Supervisor's website. The office has not been upgraded in about 15-20 years. more ›

The first of four public meetings about the Crenshaw Corridor project was last night, with 50 to 60 people reportedly showing up. Out of those who attended, "about a dozen spoke their two minutes — with nearly every public speaker in favor of the light rail option," wrote transit blogger LA Wad on MetroRiderLA. That included LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who paid a surprise visit to the meeting in support of the light rail option. more ›

October is going to be a busy month for public meetings about transportation. The city of Los Angeles is hosting a set of them on the draft master bicycle plan while Metro will gather input at a series of meetings about the Wilshire bus lanes. more ›

This morning's Daily News raises an important question in the era of social networking: "What do you do if you're a local official on a political mission to Washington, D.C., but find there's no media there to cover your activities?" The answer, of course, is to use services like Twitter and YouTube to pass along short pieces of information a la minute to your followers and constituents. more ›

Last week's election hardly brought a soul out. 6%, or around 24,000 people, of nearly 400,000 registered voters came out for last week's special election for the 26th district State Senate seat vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas when he joined the LA County Board of Supervisors. At a cost of around $2.2 million, many are frustrated at how the currently system is set up, which does not encourage participation. more ›

Yes, there is an election tomorrow. Yes, it's only three weeks to the day since we last voted. Yes, the next election that all Californians will be voting in is on May 19th. more ›

Someone's caught the social media bug and that's a good thing. LA County's 2nd District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is marking his first 100 days in office by promoting his website that now features a blog, an expansive video and photo archives (even a TV news archive) and links to his other social media tools like his new Twitter account. more ›

One day after winning the election for the 2nd District seat on the LA County Board of Supervisors, the heavily union supported Mark Ridley-Thomas set his agenda that included "better compensation for county workers and a pledge to reopen Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital by January 2010," the LA Times reports. more ›

In a race against former LAPD Chief and current LA City Councilman Bernard Parks, State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas won the 2nd District LA County Board of Supervisors seat by nearly 23 percent. more ›

Metro has voted to ask LA County residents on the November ballot on whether or not to raise the sales tax a half-penny for transit projects. However, the state has still not fully finished their process enabling the sales tax to be raised, more ›

Yesterday's most contentious race was that for the seat for the 2nd District on the County Board of Supervisors. Considered a highly-paid and powerful lifetime position once you're seated, the race between California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas and LA City Councilman (former LAPD Chief), Bernard Parks was extremely heated. more ›