Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

News

Morning Briefing: Who’s Behind LA’s Progressive Wave?

A banner in Silver Lake for Nithya Raman, who won the Nov. 3 2020 election to represent CD4 on the Los Angeles City Council. (Eric Kelly)
()

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive. 

Good morning, L.A.

In writing about the progressive wave that swept our local elections, my colleague Libby Denkmann identified Ground Game L.A. as the group behind Nithya Raman’s upset win in the race for the City Council’s District 4 seat. With no prior political experience, Raman unseated incumbent David Ryu — a rare occurrence in local city council races.

Her win shined a spotlight on the nonprofit, which is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in local politics.

Born during Jessica Salans’ 2017 campaign for a city council seat, Ground Game L.A. took shape when a group of volunteers joined forces to back the candidate. Salans lost, but core volunteers saw an opportunity to coalesce the city’s progressive energy and turn it into action. According to its website, the nonprofit now publishes its own news site, and works to support renters’ rights, end police violence and clean up the environment – in addition to backing candidates.

Support for LAist comes from

Co-founder Meghan Choi said that Ground Game L.A. has been taken under the wing of more experienced activists, who have shown the organization how to be effective.

"We had incredibly good mentorship,” she said, “from groups that had been doing this work for a long time.”

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.

Jessica P. Ogilvie


Coming Up Today, November 12

Now that Biden has won the presidential election, Josie Huang checks in with DACA recipients, who have experienced a roller coaster ride after Trump canceled the program that lets them live here legally.

Support for LAist comes from

Frank Stoltze analyzes a survey of LAPD cops by their union that finds overwhelming dissatisfaction with Chief Michel Moore.

Never miss an LAist story. Sign up for our daily newsletters.


The Past 24 Hours In LA

L.A. Kids: LAUSD officials rolled out a return-to-campus plan, should L.A. County move out of the purple coronavirus tier.

Policing Law Enforcement: The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department may have violated a student journalist’s constitutional rights by unlawfully seizing his camera and phone while he covered a protest in September.

Race In L.A.: On Veterans Day, we profiled Luther Hendricks, 95, one of the first members of the all-Black Montford Point Marines, the Marines’ equivalent of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Census Bureau is reporting that non-response rates were high this year for questions involving birth date, race, and Latina/o or Hispanic origin.

Support for LAist comes from

Election 2020: Nithya Raman's upset of incumbent L.A. City Councilman David Ryu is the cap on a series of wins by progressive candidates and measures in the city. What does the defeat of Prop 15 mean for future efforts to reform Prop 13?


Photo of the Day

Ninety-five-year-old World War II veteran Luther Hendricks poses with some of his military honors.

(HENDRICKS FAMILY / U.S. MARINE CORPS)
()

Help Us Cover Your Community

  • Got something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover? Ask us anything.
  • Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know.

The news cycle moves fast. Some stories don't pan out. Others get added. Consider this today's first draft, and check LAist.com for updates on these stories and more. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Support for LAist comes from

icon

DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS
Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines.


Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist