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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Fire officials say the Bobcat Fire is now 84 percent contained, but on Saturday remaining spots of brush continued to burn themselves out around Mount Wilson, sending a visible amount of smoke into the air. -
Video on social media show deputies shooting pepper balls at protestors and appearing to beat a protester with a riot shield while they lay on the ground. -
Maggie Moran’s team of donkeys at the Adams Pack Station made it out of the area safely, and the business is still standing. -
Emom Barnes was 15 when he was tried as an adult and sentenced to 40 years to life for attempted murder. -
Made with temporary materials, the mural was only intended to last through the All Black Lives Matter march. -
Firefighters are working in extreme heat and those high temperates make it easy for fires to grow quickly. -
A free COVID-19 testing site at the Mexican Consulate by MacArthur Park opened earlier this week to address the need for testing in the surrounding community, home to many immigrants from Latin America. -
On Friday, some areas saw the highest levels of ozone over a one-hour period in a decade. -
If the wild rabbit population diminishes, wild animals like coyotes and raccoons will travel deeper into residential communities in search of prey. -
First fine $100. Second fine $200. Third and more: $500.
