L.A.’s mayoral race is heating up — and so are Angelenos’ utility bills. As residents face staggering LADWP charges, frustration over rising costs is becoming a flashpoint in the fight for City Hall. Who’s accountable, and what can be done? @lamag Read more: lamag.com/politics/as-l-a-s-…

RT @LAmag: L.A. Has a 911 Problem. Can Karen Bass or Nithya Raman Fix It? Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson addre…

Mayor Karen Bass was in downtown Los Angeles Friday morning, where she told Los Angeles Magazine she "doesn't know what [Nithya Raman] is up to," but that the expansion of 911's dispatch center has been a priority to Bass before stepping into office as Mayor. Bass said she aims to prevent and intervene before crimes happen, saying her office has worked alongside the city council and the LAPD introduce L.A.'s very first unified call center for crisis response, which will streamline the dispatch of civilian crisis response teams for those experiencing mental and behavioral health crises. @LAmag

Did Rick Caruso just (informally) say he’s voting for Mayor Karen Bass? 👀👀👀 Rick Caruso appeared to signal informal support for Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, praising her leadership and efforts to expedite rebuilding in Pacific Palisades while stopping short of formally endorsing her reelection campaign. “My love for this city transcends politics and I’m going to stand by people who are doing right by the city,” Caruso said. The appearance comes as Bass faces a reelection challenge from City Councilmember Nithya Raman. During the press conference, Caruso weighed in on the direction of the Los Angeles Police Department, defending Police Chief Jim McDonnell, whom he described as one of the best chiefs in the country. Caruso criticized concerns about Raman’s approach to policing, saying he was worried about the direction she would take the department. Bass, who defeated Caruso in the 2022 mayoral election, said the two have maintained a working relationship despite their political differences. “A race is a race,” Bass said. “And when it’s over, as soon as it was over and even before then, if ever there was an issue that impacted the Grove or other initiatives that he was involved in, I always reached out.” Full story @LAmag lamag.com/news-and-politics/…

CALIFORNIA VOTER FRAUD ARRESTS: Federal authorities arrested 11 individuals in California on Monday as part of an investigation into alleged voter registration fraud, escalating a dispute between the Trump administration and state officials over election integrity. The arrests are part of Operation Protect the Vote, a federal initiative involving all four U.S. attorneys’ offices in California. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 28 people have been charged in separate criminal complaints with federal election-related offenses, including fraudulently registering to vote and casting ballots in U.S. elections. California's First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the arrests support allegations that mail-in ballots have enabled illegal voting in California elections. “California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote,” Essayli said in a statement. “The voting rights of American citizens must be protected.” Others are arguing the issue is smaller than the Justice Department is alleging, with UCLA election law expert Rick Hasen highlighting that the allegations may sound pressing in headlines, but reminding Californians to put the Justice Department’s figures into perspective. California has more than 23 million registered voters, and more than 16 million Californians voted in the 2024 presidential election. If the DOJ’s estimate of 20,000 illegal voters is accurate, that figure would represent approximately 0.09% of registered voters, a relatively small proportion, Hasen said. Full story at @LAmag lamag.com/news-and-politics/…

D4VD Status Conference: The morning was QUICK, lasting only a few minutes. Before D4vd, also known as David Anthony Burke was brought out, both the defense, the prosecution and the judge appeared to be in high spirits. D4vd was brought out in his orange jumpsuit, shacked. He was clean shaven, but his hair has grown out quite a bit since his last court appearance. During this status conference, not much was revealed. The parties had already settled on the date for D4vd's next status conference, which will be scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027. D4vd is currently being represented by public defenders Defender Walid Kandeel and Nicole Jones after Blair Burk unexpectedly withdrew from the case. @LAmag @conlin_lauren

🚨🚨🚨D4VD status hearing TODAY at a Los Angeles DTLA courtroom. I'll be sharing any breaking news on the case here and on @LAmag! Full story to come soon at Lamag.com @conlin_lauren