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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • News
    Larry Mantle's new pod
    He co-hosts 'Passing the Mantle' with son Desmond
    Larry Mantle Desmond Mantle
    By  Larry Mantle and  Desmond Mantle
    Published July 8, 2024 8:55 AM
    A fair skinned man in a tan straw hat with a brown band pushes a dark haired, smiling toddler in a red shirt in a swing
    AirTalk host Larry Mantle pushes his son Desmond on a swing. Desmond was two years old at the time. Now, father and son are co-hosting a new podcast from LAist Studios called Passing the Mantle.
    (
    Courtesy of Larry Mantle and family
    /
    Courtesy of Larry Mantle and family
    )

    Topline:

    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. It's co-host by longtime AirTalk host Larry Mantle and his son Desmond, who is in his second year at Stanford Law School.

    Why now: Larry has been thinking about jumping into podcasting and, in discussions with LAist management, they arrived at a conversational format where he'd be bring in his son Desmond, 23. Together, the are co-hosting 'Passing the Mantle,' which premieres July 8.

    Read on... to listen to the new episode.

    Larry Mantle: conversations with my son

    On a warm March night nearly 40 years ago, I was walking from the studios of KPCC to my car when I was approached with a question that would set my professional course for the next four decades. Our then-General Manager Bob Miller was also on his way to the parking lot. He offered kind words about my on-air work as the station’s News Director and anchor of KPCC’s newscasts. Bob asked if there was something more personality-driven I might want to do. I described a daily interview show I’d been thinking about with a call-in element that would allow me talk about the day’s news with our extremely informed and intelligent listeners.

    A month later, AirTalk went on the air.

    At that time, public radio leaders were rather dismissive of call-in shows. This was well before NPR’s Talk of the Nation came and went. The accepted model was closer to Fresh Air, with its focus on professors, journalists, and creatives. That model has, of course, produced greatness, even beyond the tremendously popular and important work of Terry Gross. Nevertheless, I really wanted listeners to be at the center of our program. I could’ve never foreseen the level of support we’ve received throughout Southern California.

    Now, as I approach four decades as AirTalk’s host, I’ve been thinking about new opportunities, like podcasting. As more public radio listeners embrace the format, I’ve been wondering what it might allow me to do that AirTalk doesn’t. I asked myself a variant of Bob Miller’s 1985 question, “Would podcasting provide a platform to do work that’s more personal than what I do on the radio each day?” LAist management thought so, and suggested I team with my son, Desmond, to share the kinds of conversations that regularly take place in our home.

    A side profile shot of fair skinned man in a dark reddish shirt with flowers holds a plastic toy microphone in front of a young dark haired, fair skinned chid
    AirTalk host Larry Mantles "interviews" his young son Desmond who was a toddler at the time. Now father and son are co-hosting a podcast from LAist Studios, Passing the Mantle.
    (
    Courtesy of Larry Mantle and family
    /
    Courtesy of Larry Mantle and family
    )

    It’s hard for me to overstate how much I’ve learned from years of talking with him. Many times I’ve brought into on-air conversations on AirTalk points that Desmond raised at home. I hope that his mother and I helped expose him to a world of nuance and complexity. Desmond certainly gave us an even wider range of questions to consider.

    He just finished his first year of law school, and we’ve been able to continue our two decades of back-and-forth on politics, religion, language, law, sexuality and movies. We’re looking forward to bringing these freewheeling, highly personal, conversations to Passing the Mantle listeners.

    Desmond Mantle: learning from my father

    Growing up, I got two common questions when people found out that my father was Larry Mantle. The first was, “Who the heck is Larry Mantle?” But more frequently, I got this question: “What’s your dad like at home?” The answer is that he’s essentially the same at home as he is on air, so much so that my mom occasionally teases him for sounding like a live announcer when we’re just sitting in our living room. The next question folks would often ask me is, “What’s it like having him as your dad?”

    That question was harder to answer because Dad is the only father I’ve had, and with no siblings or first cousins, I had very limited exposure to what another kind of childhood would look like. I went with my parents to jazz concerts, watched classic films with them and talked with them about the world. When Dad would pick me up from school, we’d talk in depth about the subjects he had covered on his show, the material I’d learned in classes and the current events of the day. I vividly remember my elementary school peers being shocked that I watched the news every morning with my parents. But to me, those moments are cherished memories of the only childhood I knew, unusual though it may have been.

    Because my father and I are rather unique, it hasn’t always been easy being ourselves. We’re both only children, and although we’re both lucky to have many friends, we’re also well-practiced in the art of being happy while being alone. We both love the same styles of music, the same era of films, the same type of humor and the same kinds of foods. We had to change clothes quickly before one of our Passing the Mantle recordings because we had accidentally dressed identically without communicating beforehand. Though we’re grateful for the love and friendship we receive from those around us, it does sometimes feel like we’re two of a kind — and the only two of that kind.

    One light skinned young man with glasses and dark hair, wearing a blue blazer sits at a table with microphones next to a light skinned man with gray hair, also in a dark blue blazer.
    Desmond Mantle and his father Larry sit in the AirTalk studio at LAist. They are co-hosting a new podcast from LAist Studios, Passing the Mantle
    (
    Ashley Balderrama
    /
    LAist
    )

    With that realization has come a tremendous degree of mutual respect. Since I was an infant, my father communicated with me the same way he communicated with adults. Our conversations covered subjects from psychology to philosophy, economics to history and much, much more. I learned plenty of new things in school, and then in college, and now in law school. But to this day, the largest single source of my knowledge is simply asking my dad questions and having him know the answers. As I’ve collected more knowledge, I’ve increasingly been able to inform my father in return.

    After so many years of having these conversations, we decided that sharing them with an audience is a great way for us to grapple with intergenerational trends and differences, and show listeners what my dad is like in a more intimate setting.

    We’re very grateful for this opportunity. We hope you enjoy!

    Passing the Mantle premieres July 8. Take a listen to our first episode. 

    Larry Mantle & Desmond Mantle sit facing each in a dining booth with Passing The Mantle title overhead.
    Listen 17:29
    Apple
    Spotify
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this first episode, Larry Mantle and his son, Desmond, 23, talk about their wide-ranging interests and shared drive to understand why things are the way they are, and discuss whether today's generation is as intellectually curious as Larry's peers in the 1970s.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    Is Gen Z less curious than the Baby Boomers?
    Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this first episode, Larry Mantle and his son, Desmond, 23, talk about their wide-ranging interests and shared drive to understand why things are the way they are, and discuss whether today's generation is as intellectually curious as Larry's peers in the 1970s.

    Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

    Subscribe

  • Climate & Environment
    Stingray season
    More people are being stung in SoCal. Why?
    Erin Stone
    Erin Stone covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
    Published April 13, 2026 5:00 AM
    A small round stingray on top of sand under water.
    A round stingray, the most common type of stingray living along our shores — and the most likely to sting you.
    (
    Courtesy CSULB Shark Lab
    )

    Topline:

    A historic lack of predators and human-caused climate change are leading to more people being stung by stingrays.

    Why it matters: Warming ocean waters are helping stingrays expand their range. That may sound good for stingrays, but it's a bad sign for the ocean's health.

    Keep reading ... for more on our local stingrays and how to avoid their painful stings.

    I recently had the excruciatingly painful experience of being stung by a stingray while swimming at Bolsa Chica State Beach. It was my second time being stung, so as soon as I felt the familiar stab in the bottom of my foot, dread arose. But at least this time I knew what to do.

    I hollered at my friend in the water — “I got hit by a stingray!”

    Ironically, I’d just been telling her about the “stingray shuffle” — the strategy to shuffle your feet as you enter the water and therefore scare any nearby stingrays away.

    I swam as fast as I could to the sand and sprinted to the nearest lifeguard tower. Already, the pain was sharp in my foot, and I could feel it pulsing up my leg, growing more intense. I took deep breaths and tried to keep my face stoic.

    Now, you lucky folks who have never been stung may be smirking at my desperation. But if you know, you know — a stingray’s sting is no joke.

    A kind lifeguard wrapped my bleeding foot in gauze and drove me in his pickup truck to the main tower. When we got there, I hopped into a painfully comedic scene: About 10 other sorry souls sat in a semicircle of chairs, each with one foot in a bucket full of scalding water.

    How to avoid getting stung

    You’re most likely to get stung by a stingray during low tide on warm water days when the surf is relatively calm — basically when it’s an ideal beach day.

    The stingray shuffle — or shuffling your feet in the sand as you enter the water — is your best defense, according to Lowe. Also, check for signage warning of high stingray activity, usually posted at the entrance to beaches.

    We passed around a hose of hot water, taking turns refilling our buckets as soon as the water started to cool. You have to keep the temperature as hot as you can tolerate, to neutralize the venom and stave off the pain. There were so many stings that day that lifeguards handed out shiny bags of hot water when they ran out of buckets.

    As I waited for my pain to fully subside — it can take more than an hour of soaking in hot water — I watched as a steady stream of people came and went for their stings.

    A young teen, bawling, was consoled by her frantic dad. Others sat silently, grimacing occasionally as their friends or family patted their backs. When the hose with hot water was hogged by a single party too long, the rest of us grew anxious and a little desperate. Still, everyone treated each other kindly — after all, misery loves company.

    As I sat with my own foot in a bucket of hot water, I had time to wonder: Why are so many people getting stung? And has it always been this way?

    A navy blue bag with yellow lettering reading "STINGRAY FIRST AID" with a yellow drawing of a stingray and California state parks emblem.
    Bags that lifeguards hand out for stingray victims in need of soaking their feet in hot water.
    (
    Erin Stone
    /
    LAist
    )

    Fewer predators, more stingrays

    We have four types of stingrays in Southern California waters — bat rays, diamond rays, butterfly rays and round stingrays.

    “The round stingray is the one that most people come to know and love at their local beaches, because they're the most abundant, and they're the ones that people accidentally step on the most and get stung by,” said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach.

    Round stingrays come into contact with our feet because they forage on the sea floor for clams, crabs, isopods and small fish. They hide from predators under the sand while they digest. Understandably, they strongly dislike being stepped on, especially with a full belly. I don’t blame ‘em.

    Round stingrays range from Panama up to Santa Barbara County — the northern tip of their range. Over the last hundred years, their populations have been growing steadily, largely because we killed off many of their predators, such as sea lions, white sharks and sea bass, last century.

    A round stingray flattened and camouflaged against dark brown sand.Its sharp tail spine extends behind it.
    A round stingray (Urolophus halleri) in an aquarium.
    (
    shurub
    /
    Getty Images/iStockphoto
    )

    Now, thanks to conservation efforts and improved fishing practices, many of those predators are making a comeback.

    “As a result of those predator populations coming back, we expect the round stingray population to get tamped down a little bit,” Lowe said.

    Stingrays or “white shark pancakes,” Lowe joked, are “the first food we think the juvenile white sharks that hang out off our beaches really take advantage of.”

    More people, more stings

    At the same time, coastal development over the last 100 years has destroyed much of the habitat that stingrays prefer, such as lagoons and estuaries, which have calm, shallow warm water and sediment to hide under. Now, the habitat available to them is primarily coastal beaches.

    “That puts a lot more people in the path of what we call prime round stingray habitat,” Lowe said.

    In January, officials at Huntington Beach warned beachgoers of an uptick in stingray activity. Down the road in Seal Beach, a popular surf spot has long been known as “Ray Bay.”

    Here in Southern California, estimates are that lifeguards treat more than 10,000 stings a year, Lowe said. That’s likely a very conservative estimate, he added, since many people don’t seek treatment.

    The climate change effect

    Climate change is increasingly playing a role in stingray life too, Lowe said, by warming waters that historically have been too cool for them to survive.

    Over the last 200 years, human society has pumped an unprecedented level of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is heating up the planet. The ocean has been our main buffer to the worst effects of that pollution — it absorbs about 30% of all carbon dioxide emissions and about 90% of the excess heat generated by those emissions, according to NASA.

    A map depicts a marine heat wave off the coast of California in varying red to green shades.
    The marine heat wave known as "the blob" at its near maximum areal extent in September 2014, left. At right, the ongoing marine heat wave at its near maximum areal extent in September 2025.
    (
    Courtesy NOAA
    )

    That’s not only changing the chemical composition of the ocean, but also driving worsening marine heatwaves or “blobs,” which can lead to mass die-offs of marine life. In fact, we’ve been in a record-breaking marine heat wave since last summer.

    “The pattern at which these marine heat waves are increasing is clearly an indicator of climate change,” Lowe said. “So these are all real true harbingers of climate change, and we're seeing the animals that live in these environments respond to these conditions.”

    A graph depicts red and green lines slowly getting larger, showing how marine heat waves have worsened since1982.
    Human-caused climate change is making marine heat waves more extreme and frequent. his graph depicts the increasing surface area of marine heat wave anomalies in the California Current region from 1982 to the present.
    (
    Courtesy NOAA
    )

    Though they can withstand only so much heat, stingrays prefer temperate, subtropical waters.

    “As the ocean continues to warm, that range gets pushed farther north, which means the habitat in Southern California just becomes even more pleasant to the round stingray,” Lowe said.  

    Over the last 50 years, round stingrays have had periodic pulses as far north as Monterey. And with an El Niño weather pattern likely year this year,  ”we might start seeing animals even farther north,” Lowe said.

    Warmer waters may sound good for stingrays, but it’s not a great sign for the health of the ocean. Last year’s extreme marine heat wave led to massive algae blooms that sickened and poisoned marine wildlife.
  • Sponsored message
  • Best Things To Do
    Weekly events
    John Waters turns 80, a punk panel and more
    Laura Hertzfeld
    Laura Hertzfeld
    Published April 13, 2026 5:00 AM
    A table set with various dips, spreads and appetizers, with a menu reading "Tawle" underneath a bowl of hummus.
    Maydan Market hosts a food panel Monday, followed by a Tawle meal.
    (
    Sierra Prescott
    /
    Maydan Market
    )

    In this edition:

    John Waters turns 80, English at the Wallis, a punk panel for the ages and more of the best things to do this week.

    Highlights:

    • The Pulitzer Prize-winning English by Orange County’s own Sanaz Toossi is clever, poignant and utterly original. The play is set in a TOEFL class in Tehran in 2008 where a sparse classroom serves as the setting for an intergenerational, cross-cultural conversation.
    • Punk fans won’t want to miss this free panel with USC’s Visions and Voices, featuring punk legend Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, queercore icon Bruce LaBruce, filmmaker and AfroPunk Festival founder James Spooner and Limp Wrist singer Martin Sorrondeguy.
    • Your most chill lunch hour is back. Grab your sandwich and head to Colburn Plaza for free weekly classical concerts with the musicians of the Colburn School. 
    • Chef Sean Sherman was a pioneer in bringing indigenous cooking into mainstream fine dining with his groundbreaking Minneapolis restaurant Owamni. He’s in town for a conversation moderated by L.A. Taco’s Javier Cabral alongside Maydan founder and chef Rose Previte, chef Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez, and activist Odilia Romero of Lugya’h.

    Two big cultural spots in L.A. are going to be closed for a while — the La Brea Tar Pits and the Getty Center are both about to undergo extensive renovations ahead of the 2028 Olympics. So it’s a good thing we have all these new spaces opening, like LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Dataland, to keep us occupied. Kudos on the smart timing, arts administration friends!

    Whether you’re recovering from Coachella or heading out for weekend two or neither, there’s plenty of music in town this week. Licorice Pizza recommends outlaw country legend Dale Watson at Zebulon on Monday, while on Tuesday, Lykke Li is at the Fonda and Herbie Hancock plays Disney Hall. On Wednesday, local heroes Redd Kross bring their "peach kelli pop" to the Lodge Room, Swae Lee plays the Novo, Wet Leg catches these fists at the Fox Theater Pomona, coldwave duo Lebanon Hanover plays their first of two nights at the Vermont Hollywood and Grammy-winning jazz diva Samara Joy plays the first of two nights at Blue Note.

    Elsewhere on LAist, you can get the latest on Olympics ticket drops, find out how you can help the Aquarium of the Pacific save a beloved sea turtle and check out the best empanadas across L.A.

    Events

    English

    Through Sunday, April 26
    The Wallis 
    9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills
    COST: FROM $53; MORE INFO 

    A medium-light-skin-toned man in a black leather jacket stands in front of a desk and looks at a medium-light-skin-toned woman wearing a red head scarf and seated behind the desk.
    (
    KEVIN PARRY
    )

    The Pulitzer Prize-winning play English, by Orange County’s own Sanaz Toossi, is clever, poignant and utterly original. The play is set in a TOEFL class in Tehran in 2008, where a sparse classroom serves as the setting for an intergenerational, cross-cultural conversation that explores the feelings of being an outsider while considering and reconsidering what is home. The show is almost entirely in English; in a genius move, the actors seamlessly use their fluent, comfortable American accents when “speaking” Farsi and more stilted English when in the classroom. Knud Adams directs the production, which comes to the Wallis straight from Broadway and stars most of the original cast.

    Punk for the People, Vol. 2: Punk Movements

    Tuesday, April 14, 7 p.m.
    Bovard Auditorium
    3551 Trousdale Parkway, University Park
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    A black-and-white collage of eight punk musicians on a pink and red background.
    (
    USC Visions and Voices
    /
    Eventbrite
    )

    NYC sometimes gets all the credit for being the home of punk rock, but L.A.’s punk history is loud and clear. Fans won’t want to miss this free panel with USC’s Visions and Voices, featuring punk legend Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, queercore icon Bruce LaBruce, filmmaker and AfroPunk Festival founder James Spooner and Limp Wrist singer Martin Sorrondeguy.

    Kenny Harris

    Through Saturday, May 2
    Billis/Williams Gallery 
    2716 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    A painting of an empty beach at sunset with a lifeguard stand in the right third.
    (
    Kenny Harris
    /
    Billis/Williams Gallery
    )

    I know I’m a little biased, having lived in Venice all these years, but Kenny Harris’ paintings make my little neighborhood feel dreamy, historic and real all at once. This solo show at Billis/Williams Gallery in Culver City is just a stone's throw from the real-life beach and canal scenes that Harris so lovingly depicts.

    Going to Extremes: A John Waters 80th Birthday Celebration 

    Tuesday, April 14, 8 p.m.
    The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA 
    5151 State University Drive, Monterey Park
    COST: FROM $50; MORE INFO 

    A man wearing a red jacket and black sunglasses makes a prayer gesture.
    John Waters brings his show “Going to Extremes” to The Luckman on April 14, 2026.
    (
    Greg Gorman
    )

    Weird and wonderful John Waters turns 80 this year, and if you caught the Academy Museum exhibit on his work, you won’t want to miss this live birthday extravaganzalive birthday extravaganza honoring Baltimore’s most out-there filmmaker. Waters himself will be there to reflect on eight decades of “gleeful provocation” and share the stories and inspirations that shaped his career.

    Fowler Talks: Decolonizing Philippine History, Rethinking Ifugao and Indigeneity

    Wednesday, April 15, 6 p.m.
    Fowler Museum UCLA
    308 Charles E. Young Dr. N., Westwood
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

    Four children with their backs to the camera walk up terraced rice paddies. Above them a person holding a basket walks along a ridge.
    (
    Paul Connor
    /
    The Fowler Museum at UCLA
    )

    The newest exhibit at the Fowler, Mountain Spirits, looks at the world of the Ifugao people in northern Luzon. It just opened this past weekend, and along with it comes a series of talks delving into Filipino culture and history. This one features archaeologist Stephen Acabado and community leader Marlon Martin exploring how rice terraces flourished as acts of resistance to colonial intrusion, highlighting agriculture, ritual exchange and environmental design as adaptive systems that continue to shape contemporary climate discourse.

    Lunchtime Concerts at Colburn

    Tuesdays through May 4, 12 p.m.
    Colburn Plaza
    200 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    Five musicians play brass instruments while a crowd of seated people watches.
    (
    Courtesy Colburn School
    )

    Your most chill lunch hour is back. Grab your sandwich and head to Colburn Plaza for free weekly classical concerts with the musicians of the Colburn School, supported by the Downtown L.A. Alliance.

    American Food (R)evolution panel

    Monday, April 13, 4:30 p.m.
    Maydan Market
    4301 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams 
    COST: FREE; MORE INFO

    An open fire in a kitchen has a chef stoking it on the left, while on the right another chef works with tongs.
    (
    Ashley Randall Photography
    /
    Maydan Market
    )

    Chef Sean Sherman was a pioneer in bringing indigenous cooking into mainstream fine dining with his groundbreaking Minneapolis restaurant Owamni. Lucky for us, he’s in town for a conversation moderated by L.A. Taco’s Javier Cabral, alongside Maydan founder and chef Rose Previte, chef Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez and activist Odilia Romero of Lugya’h. They’ll discuss Sherman’s new book, Turtle Island, and the “intersection of culture, identity, and politics through the lens of food.” A dinner at Maydan (separate reservation and payment required) will follow, where Previte, Martinez and Sherman will host a one-night-only communal “Tawle” feast, featuring Maydan’s signature Middle Eastern dishes alongside special, fire-based creations from Sherman and Martinez, celebrating Indigenous American and Zapotec cuisines.

    Reservations for the dinner are available here.
  • Civics & Democracy
    Swalwell suspends run
    Frontrunner for governor accused of sexual assault
    By Marisa Lagos | KQED
    Published April 12, 2026 6:19 PM
    A man in a suit jacket and no tie holds a mic. He wears a wedding band on his left hand.
    A frontrunner for California governor, Swalwell suspended his campaign Sunday after a series of women accused him of sexual assault and harassment.
    (
    Ronaldo Bolaños
    /
    Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
    )

    Topline:

    Eric Swalwell, who had emerged as one of the top candidates in California’s crowded governor’s race, suspended his campaign this evening after a series of women accused him of sexual assault and harassment, including allegations that he raped a former staff member twice.

    What he said: In the short statement posted on social media, he did not address whether he will remain in Congress. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.

    How we got here: Swalwell, a married father of three, faced swift calls to resign from his House seat and leave the governor’s race after the allegations were published by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on April 10. In addition to the political fallout, he’s now facing a criminal inquiry from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York and possibly Alameda County — where the 2024 and 2019 alleged assaults each took place.

    Eric Swalwell, who had emerged as one of the top candidates in California’s crowded governor’s race, suspended his campaign Sunday evening after a series of women accused him of sexual assault and harassment, including allegations that he raped a former staff member twice.

    In the short statement posted on social media, he did not address whether he will remain in Congress.

    Swalwell, a married father of three who represents the East Bay, faced swift calls to resign from his House seat and leave the governor’s race after the allegations were published by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on April 10. In addition to the political fallout, he’s now facing a criminal inquiry from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York and possibly Alameda County — where the 2024 and 2019 alleged assaults each took place.

    “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.

    The reports by the Chronicle and CNN included allegations by an unnamed former staffer who said Swalwell sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent in both 2019 and 2024. CNN also reported allegations of misconduct from three other women involved in Democratic politics, including one who said Swalwell kissed her without consent and two others who said that he sent them unsolicited nude photos and explicit text messages.

    Swalwell flatly denied the allegations of sexual assault in a video he posted on social media Friday, and vowed to fight them. But he seemed to acknowledge at least some infidelity, adding that any mistakes are between him and his wife, and apologizing for “putting her in this position.”

    But within hours of the stories publishing, Swalwell was abandoned by nearly all his supporters. Top House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, called for his exit, and he lost 21 endorsements from fellow Democratic members of Congress.

    Over the weekend, senior staffers from both his congressional office and campaign resigned, and major labor groups like the California Teachers Association and SEIU California pulled their support. His campaign website no longer contains links to donate or a page listing his donations.

    In a joint statement Sunday, 55 of Swalwell’s former staff members called the allegations “serious” and “credible” and urged law enforcement to investigate. They also called on Swalwell to resign from Congress and withdraw from the governor’s race, and apologized to their former colleague “for not knowing what you were enduring.”

    “We believe her,” the letter states. “What has been described is not a political attack. It is the account of a young woman who trusted her employer, who was targeted and exploited by someone in a position of power over her, and who has carried this burden for years.”
    Swalwell, 45, had a meteoric rise in politics — and a fall that came just as fast. A former Alameda County prosecutor, he first ran for Congress in 2011, as a 30-year old Dublin city councilmember who unseated a 20-term incumbent nearly 50 years his senior.

    He rose to national prominence during President Donald Trump’s first term when he was tapped to help investigate Trump during both impeachment inquiries. The roles — as an impeachment manager during the first impeachment, and again as a House manager during the second — led to frequent appearances on cable news and made him one of the Democratic Party’s most high-profile Trump critics.

    He briefly ran for president in 2019, but dropped out within months after failing to gain traction. Swalwell announced a run for governor in November, joining a crowded field to replace the termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Other leading Democrats include former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, though the race had remained wide-open and a clear Democratic favorite had yet to emerge.

    Over the past five months, Swalwell quickly amassed endorsements from most of his congressional colleagues, state lawmakers and some of California’s largest labor unions. They all abandoned him after the allegations were made public.
  • Civics & Democracy
    State GOP convention
    Holdings seats may mean holding Trump at distance
    By Nadia Lathan | CalMatters
    Published April 12, 2026 6:11 PM
    A corridor is filled with merch for Republican candidates.
    Attendees walk through the California Republican Party convention at the Sheraton San Diego Resort on April 11, 2026.
    (
    Adriana Heldiz
    /
    CalMatters
    )

    Topline:

    California Republicans embrace Trump at their convention this weekend while candidates in competitive races keep him at arm’s length to win over voters.

    Where things stand: California Republicans are optimistic a handful of GOP legislators can hold onto their seats — but only if they keep President Donald Trump at a distance.

    What that means: GOP candidates have been careful not to align themselves too closely with the president, whose affiliation can activate California Democrats to vote against anything from a candidate to a ballot measure.

    Republican Leticia Castillo stunned political observers when she won her Riverside County Assembly seat in the state Legislature two years ago.

    The Democratic candidate, Clarissa Cervantes, the sister of the outgoing assemblymember, was favored and had spent more than 10 times as much as her.

    This year, Castillo thinks she can do it again.

    “I’m accessible to my constituents and they like that,” Castillo said at an evening reception outside a San Diego resort. Republican strategists, legislators and advocates are meeting for the party’s annual convention in downtown San Diego, one month before mail ballots for the June primary appear in mailboxes.

    California Republicans are optimistic Castillo and a handful of other GOP legislators can hold onto their seats — but only if they keep President Donald Trump at a distance. It’s emblematic of a tension between leaders who are focused on strategic campaigning and party conservatives’ unabashed embrace of Trump. GOP candidates have been careful not to align themselves too closely with the president, whose affiliation can activate California Democrats to vote against anything from a candidate to a ballot measure.

    Inflation and America’s entry into another war have cratered the president’s popularity among voters nationally. And the California party is listening. Officials over the weekend repeatedly downplayed him and his influence in state politics. But between bedazzled sweaters featuring his name and cardboard cut-outs of him, delegates’ support for the president was on full display.

    Trump remains deeply unpopular in California. But his support among hard-line conservatives activists has rarely, if ever, wavered since in the last decade. That remains true among California Republican activists, whose devotion has not waned despite Trump’s controversial decision to enter a war with Iran that has caused record-high gas prices.

    “I love what he’s doing. I love all the s— he’s saying,” Los Angeles delegate Mary Boston said about Trump and the war in Iran. “The whole establishment — all the Democrats, all the judges — they just hate him because he’s trying to make a difference for you and me.”

    Donald who?

    However, GOP officials sought to minimize his role.

    “I think people here are tired of California. They know that the federal government is doing nothing to harm or help California,” Riverside County sheriff and Republican candidate for governor Chad Bianco said in an interview. Trump last week endorsed his Republican rival Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, instead of Bianco. “For the last week, people haven’t cared what President Trump is doing,” he said of Trump’s endorsement.

    Bianco and Hilton have been reticent to mention Trump. In a state where Democratic voters vastly outnumber Republicans, it’s an imperative.

    State party Chair Corrin Rankin said she was surprised to see Trump “weigh in on anything in California,” and refused to comment directly about voters’ discontent with his policies.

    Some party leaders are hoping Trump’s toxicity will just blow over come the June 2 primary.

    “Just as quickly as the gas prices went up, I think that we’ve all seen in California how quickly gas prices can also come down,” state party Vice Chair John Park said. “Many of the problems that are on the front burner, the ones that people will instinctively tie to President Trump, will subside by then.”

    At the convention, the divide between the party establishment and its rank in file was on display. Trump merchandise could be seen all across the convention — at vendor booths, on the walls and on people’s clothes. At some sessions, Trump’s footprint was large. A “Make California Great Again” session was spearheaded by Jo Reitkopp, from Orange County, who founded a group of the same name shortly after Trump was inaugurated in 2016.

    Reitkopp and other party activists were advocating for a voter ID ballot initiative that would require voters to show proof of citizenship to vote. The ballot measure is modeled after a voting restriction bill Trump is pushing in Congress.

    Running for the Legislature? Stay mum on Trump

    Even before voters passed Proposition 50, the ballot measure targeting House Republicans, the California Republican Party was weak and had little relevance. Democrats continue to hold a commanding supermajority in Sacramento, where Republicans are fewer than a third of state lawmakers. No Republican has been elected to a statewide office since 2006.

    Things briefly looked different in 2024 after voters shifted to the right in nearly every county as part of the backlash to President Joe Biden. Predominantly Latino and working-class voters in Imperial County backed Trump, the first time they had backed a Republican presidential candidate in decades. Republicans also flipped three seats in the Legislature, a first in 10 years.

    Those trends quickly evaporated. Voters in Imperial County and across the state overwhelmingly approved Prop. 50, complicating the narrative that Democrats were losing Latinos in California.

    Imperial County GOP Chair Sayrs Morris said candidates’ approach will be to keep mum on Trump because of voters’ frustration with the economy.

    “We’re not going out there saying our candidates are MAGA candidates. We’re keeping it focused on them,” said Morris, a Trump supporter. “Right now things are tough. The economy’s not super great. And we’re at war.”

    Coachella Republican Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez will be a test case. He flipped his district two years ago, despite a registration advantage that favors Democrats by 12 percentage points. Among Gonzalez’s challengers are Indio city Councilmember Oscar Ortiz and former El Centro Mayor Tomás Oliva. So far, he’s outraised all of them with $630,000 in his campaign account at the end of last year.

    Gonzalez’s campaign spokespeople did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

    Republicans are also targeting Castillo’s Riverside Assembly seat and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones’ San Diego district, where the GOP holds only a slight advantage as voters in north and eastern parts of San Diego County trend leftward. He terms out at the end of this year.

    “It’s the one we’re all watching,” GOP activist Justin Schlaefil said.

    The debate over who should succeed Jones, a moderate Republican, has been a tension point among Republicans in San Diego.

    Jones and U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa have backed San Marcos City Councilmember Ed Musgrove. Meanwhile, Reform California, a multimillion-dollar political organization led by Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, is supporting Kristie Bruce-Lane, a two-time unsuccessful Assembly candidate who is further to the right than Musgrove.

    Moderate Republicans fear Lane is too conservative for what will be the most competitive district this year.

    Neither candidate gained enough support for an endorsement at a February San Diego County GOP meeting after hours of heated debate.

    “We’re spending a lot of money against each other just because of that,” said Schlaefil, a friend of Jones. “It is winnable, but it is very tight.”

    Back in Riverside, Castillo has a much larger war chest than two years ago when she narrowly clinched her seat by a few hundred votes against Democratic City Councilmember Clarrissa Cervantes.

    Cervantes was initially considered a shoo-in. But she was bogged down by two DUI convictions. Cervantes attributed her loss to poor Democratic turnout. This time, she hopes things will be different.

    Castillo is keeping her focus on public safety and parental rights.

    “I get people just want to continue to say, ‘Trump, Trump, Trump,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re in California, and Trump doesn’t rule here.”