Civics & Democracy

LAist’s coverage of civic life and citizen issues in Southern California. We cover elections, examine who gets listened to and why, and provide a guide for anyone who wants to more fully participate in civic life.

A man with medium skin tone, wearing a black shirt, stands behind a cash register in front of a kitchen. Next to him are plants and ornaments, including a small statue of the Virgin Mary.

Foot traffic to small shops fell after last year’s ICE raids. Owners say it never really came back

A year after immigration raids exploded in LA, many small shops are still in recovery mode as even a rumor of ICE activity can make customers rethink casual shopping trips.

LA County sheriff: ICE will be at the World Cup in LA but agents won’t do enforcement

Listen 0:44

A man in a beige law enforcement uniform stands behind a mic and podium. Another man in a unform stands to his right and a third man is standing to his left wearing a navy blue suit. A multi-colored soccer ball rests on the podium beside him.

Pratt is accusing Mayor Bass of celebrating K-town's destruction in 1992. What really happened

A Koreatown gateway sign stands next to businesses and palm trees.

More candidates are using their personal wealth to campaign than ever before. Should voters care?

Tom Steyer, a man with light skin tone, gray hair, wearing a blue suit and shirt, speaks into a microphone with plants around him on a stage.

Will Huntington Beach concede defeat in state housing feud?

An overhead view of single-family homes.

More Stories

Fireworks are back on Inglewood’s ballot just 1 year after the city initially banned them

An initiative to make some firework use and sales legal again in the city is on the ballot for the June 2 special election.
California governor debate: Rivals gang up on Democratic frontrunner Becerra

Candidates for California governor faced off in one last debate before the primary.
Key takeaways from Trump's China trip

President Donald Trump returns to the U.S. after wrapping up his whirlwind trip to China.

Listen 3:50
Huntington Beach's MAGA coalition is fracturing over 'cronyism'

Huntington Beach’s MAGA majority showed signs of fracturing over recent allegations of self-dealing. Some say the problem is pervasive.

Listen 0:41
OC halts use of chemicals that critics say poison the county’s creeks and coast

A tiny OC environmental group used election jostling to score a big win.

Listen 0:40
Newsom’s last budget: Cut California spending now, save for the AI bubble to burst

California tax revenue is soaring thanks to tech stocks. But Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing more cuts, warning that the boom won’t last and Trump cuts will hit the state hard.
San Clemente voters will decide on a sales tax to pay for more sand

If approved, the sales tax increase will bring in $15 million annually.
California governor frontrunner Xavier Becerra’s playbook: Never say you’re sorry

Democratic frontrunner for California governor Xavier Becerra has dodged weeks of criticism about his record.
Panicked California Democrats are pushing a risky strategy: Wait till the last minute to vote

Liberal California activists are urging Democrats to wait until the last minute to vote in the race for governor, then support the frontrunner in the polls.
LA County forms a committee to oversee a policy protecting patients brought in by ICE

A county policy that went into effect earlier this year informs health workers on how to navigate interactions with law enforcement.
'Being here breaks people': Inside solitary confinement at Adelanto

ICE detention centers are placing more people in solitary confinement. Some detainees say they’ve been put in isolation for asking for essentials.

Listen 4:10
Trump's Truth Social lays bare narrow obsessions of an extremely online president

The bulk of the president's social media posts don't make news. But taken together they show what's on his mind as he leads the nation through war and domestic turmoil.

Listen 4:13

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Civics & Democracy