Julia Paskin
I think of myself as a reverse engineer when it comes to the experiences of Southern Californians. I work to understand and highlight stories from often unheard voices and work backwards to demonstrate how and why that experience is possible. From immigration, law enforcement, to homelessness, to the environment, how do laws and policies impact our lives? And what social, political, and environmental forces inform our experiences? What solutions work and who do they serve?
I grew up in an old New York City tenement, raised by a working-class, single mom (shout out to Mama Paskin). I came to California to study at CalArts and in search of lower rents (the misguided irony!) so issues of economic equity and the arts are both close to my heart. I came to journalism after working in the performing arts and then social justice and political organizing.
While I may have left NYC fleeing an unlivable economy, I stayed here after falling in love with Greater Los Angeles and all that our diverse communities have to offer. I have now spent nearly half my life here and have made an art of defending LA from anyone who dares to talk trash-- because anyone who doesn’t have anything nice to say about our town, just doesn’t know enough about it.
Julia is the host of All Things Considered on weekdays on LAist 89.3 and The L.A. Report podcast.
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Her campaign website centers homelessness as the city's key crisis to fix. -
A report from Southern California Edison says moving from fossil fuels to electric sources will reduce carbon emissions — but the state needs a more dependable grid to make that happen. -
Riverside County has approved an emergency notification system for the San Jacinto Mountains that builds upon the work of local amateur radio operators. They often provide critical information during a wildfire, landslide or earthquake. -
A group called Firefighters 4 Freedom says the mandate violates their rights under the California constitution. -
Most of what you think you’re recycling isn’t actually recyclable, and ends up in the ocean. But you can do a few things about the recycling crisis, including cleaning up your local beach. -
Pretty much anywhere you can go out for a drink and mingle will have to start requiring proof of vaccination at the door. Large outdoor venues, including stadiums, will be allowed to accept a vaccine card or a negative COVID-19 test. -
Voters still have the opportunity to register day-of and vote in-person at vote centers across the state, which means results could be up in the air for days after the polls close tonight. -
The suit claims the city’s mandate is tantamount to coercive bodily searches. A vaccine legal expert says that’s not the case when it comes to public health. -
A bill — SB 796 — to transfer what's known as Bruce's Beach back to the family's descendants has cleared the state Senate and is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for his signature. -
We spoke with families who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks for some advice on living with loss.
