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.
-
Mayor Richard Montgomery told us beachgoers respected social distancing, even if they took a seat on the sand. -
-
It's the latest ruling from Judge David O. Carter, who has already forced cities in Orange County to deal with their homelessness problem. -
The landmark order comes from Judge David O. Carter, who asked for any removal to be "humane". -
The judge previously cited concerns over public health and safety issues for the homeless community during the coronavirus outbreak. -
San Carlo's deli in Chatsworth was one of the first businesses to apply for the new loan program. -
The hope is lessons learned during the pandemic about remote working can be applied when the industry returns to normal operations — and help to make the industry more inclusive. -
Organizers worry this year's drive will be far less successful than previous in-person donations. -
Health officials say reports of substance abuse among teens have been on the rise. -
USC immunologists are now theorizing that suppressing the immune system may help the body fight off COVID-19.
