L.A. Times - Commentary

Contributor: The Wilshire subway took 46 years. Future projects should skip the decades of objections

Payton Rockwood — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:03:00 GMT

California can't afford to entertain lawsuits and stalling by local entities. Transit, like housing, is too important to let NIMBYs interfere.

Contributor: The right's beloved James Madison, the founder of American environmentalism

Andrea Wulf — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:01:00 GMT

In 1818, American founder James Madison argued that the defense of the environment was crucial to the survival of the national republic.

Contributor: The next big thing in restaurants? Small and steady growth

Karen Stabiner — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:01:00 GMT

People keep setting up shop — small shops, to be sure, but that could be a good thing. They might be part of a correction after 20 years of excess.

Abcarian: Democrats put forward two styles of American masculinity

Robin Abcarian — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Graham Platner, an earthy oyster farmer with a complicated past, and James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian out of Texas, are key to flipping the Senate.

Contributor: Elon Musk's rocket launches are a nuisance for this California town

Lisa Parks — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The Air Force recently authorized a cadence of up to 100 SpaceX missions per year — roughly one every three days — and all the sonic booms that go with them.

Contributor: David Hockney's paintings gave the world a vision of L.A.

James Cahill — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:50:00 GMT

The artist, who died Thursday at 88, came to Los Angeles in the 1960s and created indelible, shimmering images of the city's people, scenes and sunlight.

Contributor: A tale of two Republicans who crossed Trump

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:27:00 GMT

For those of us struggling to understand today's Republican Party, this past week's primary elections in South Carolina offered a useful case study.

Granderson: The Social Security crisis should be dominating the Senate campaign

LZ Granderson — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:02:00 GMT

The 33 senators we elect this November will be in office when the Social Security program becomes insolvent in 2032.

Contributor: One economist's villainous blueprint to manage global poverty

Veronique de Rugy — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Thomas Piketty's ambitious plans for shrinking the workweek and capping the GDP of wealthy countries would hurt not just the billionaires but every American.

Contributor: The untold Hispanic history that made U.S. history possible

Carrie Gibson — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:20:00 GMT

Far from the colonists' front lines, Cubans, Mexicans and Spaniards aided the American Revolution.

Calmes: Trump is stealing Americans' faith in elections

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:08:00 GMT

The U.S.'s election systems are secure and fair, but that's harder for many to believe after a decade of lies from the president.

Contributor: The philanthropy world will regret sidelining women

Erica Wertheim Zohar — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:05:00 GMT

There's a pattern in American philanthropy that I call institutional infidelity: the minimizing and quiet reassignment of a woman's philanthropic identity to her husband.

Contributor: New rules squeeze money from asylum seekers while preventing them from working

Tess Feldman — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:10:00 GMT

This double injustice forces people to ask: How can I pay for my application if I am not allowed to apply for a work permit?

Contributor: Hegseth's meddling with promotions tarnishes leadership and endangers the country

Jon Duffy — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A visible pattern of removing women and minority officers from promotion lists sends a message to his military.

Column: America was much more of a mess at the bicentennial than it is today

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 18:30:00 GMT

Many people throughout the country are nostalgic for a past that never existed.

Contributor: How the looming Houthi threat could turn the Iran war

April Longley Alley — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The group has held back its most potent weapon: the ability to disrupt commercial shipping through the Red Sea.

Contributor: Tom Steyer's stumble shows the perils facing self-funded candidates

Garry South — Tue, 9 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

There are three reasons this type of candidate has almost always failed to connect with voters.

Contributor: The Trump administration succeeded in Armenia where others fell short

Kristina A. Kvien — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 20:22:00 GMT

The U.S. and Europe tried unsuccessfully for 35 years to end the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Then the dynamic changed.

Contributor: My father, Ronald Reagan, would be heartbroken by today's White House conduct

Patti Davis — Sun, 7 Jun 2026 10:41:00 GMT

Remember how world leaders have behaved in the past, how they are supposed to behave. Otherwise, we risk normalizing the words and deeds of the current president.

Contributor: America's lead in AI is now at the mercy of local zoning boards

Warren Wimmer — Sun, 7 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

If cities like Monterey Park continue to ban all data center construction, the U.S. has no hopes of keeping pace with China.

Contributor: What Andy Rooney might say about the downfall of '60 Minutes'

Ben Fishel — Sat, 6 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Despite his iconic musings, the CBS fixture believed deeply in journalism and the responsibility that comes with informing the public.

Contributor: The overdue rise of the right within mainstream media

Josh Hammer — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 10:11:00 GMT

The shake-up at CBS News is just one piece of a broader trend.

Contributor: Why do the Republicans have the celebrity candidates?

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 10:02:00 GMT

For today's rising stars in politics like Spencer Pratt, the currency is not institutional support but the attention economy.

Granderson: The sin of pride has nothing to do with the season of Pride

LZ Granderson — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 10:01:00 GMT

The Proverb about "pride before a fall" is a warning to egotistical rulers.

Contributor: James Comey's case will play out in a murky area of the law

Wayne Unger — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 21:47:00 GMT

The former FBI director is likely to argue that his Instagram post relating to Trump is protected by the 1st Amendment. It's not a slam dunk.

Contributor: Recent assessment of California's water misallocation is the first step toward justice

David Sathuluri and Marco Tedesco — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 10:09:00 GMT

New research lays out exactly how California's water system is ill-suited to the climate realities ahead.

Contributor: Human wars are displacing and killing hidden nations of animals

Ryan Huling — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

International conflicts may last decades, but collateral damage across the animal kingdom far outlasts the final shot.

Calmes: As we approach July 4, the capital is, fittingly, a mess

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 09:55:00 GMT

The adulatory banners and ego-driven construction projects hardly send the message appropriate for a people who renounced a king.

Contributor: U.S. lead in science is shrinking fast as China, India and even Iran catch up

Amir Faghri — Wed, 3 Jun 2026 10:04:00 GMT

As global competition intensifies, the United States risks driving away the world's brightest minds rather than drawing them in.

Contributor: How Democrats drifted away from the working class

Nicholas Jacobs — Tue, 2 Jun 2026 19:56:00 GMT

For 50 years, working-class voters' worldview has been growing less compatible with the Democratic Party's — not because the voters changed, but because the party did.

Column: Trump is stuck between two realities. Neither serves the American people

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 2 Jun 2026 18:55:00 GMT

The president's everything-all-at-once vibe can be disorienting, particularly because people didn't have the Iran war on their bingo cards.

Contributor: No single person should have the power to launch nuclear weapons

Steven Andreasen and Anthony Lake — Tue, 2 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Trump's mad rhetoric and impulsive outbursts put every American and millions of foreign citizens in real danger.

Contributor: California is at the center of the fight against Parkinson's

Michael J. Fox — Tue, 2 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT

With its world-class universities, research hospitals and biotech industry, and Senate Bill 895 making its way to Sacramento, the state has a duty to go all in on Parkinson's research.

Contributor: U.S. should help contain Ebola outbreak, not aggravate the crisis

Neil Vora — Mon, 1 Jun 2026 19:24:00 GMT

Closing the U.S. border to anyone potentially exposed to the virus, including American aid workers, is likely to undermine containment efforts.

Contributor: The Forest Service is too important to be a political pawn

Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman — Mon, 1 Jun 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Some proposed changes, including to firefighting functions, have been criticized as seemingly intended to dismantle this storied institution.

Contributor: Why Trump is manufacturing a new crisis in Cuba

Jon Duffy — Sat, 30 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

For more than 60 years, the U.S. has tried to pressure Cuba's leadership into breaking. The regime has endured.

Contributor: In politics after Trump, nothing is disqualifying

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:53:00 GMT

Has Trumpism become America's permanent political operating system?

Granderson: Who would dream of letting the NFL judge its own racism?

LZ Granderson — Fri, 29 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

What was Brett Kavanaugh thinking of when he argued that the league shouldn't face justice in court? Not history.

Contributor: You don't have to be wealthy to worry about California's wealth tax

Veronique de Rugy — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:30:00 GMT

When the wealth tax inevitably fails to deliver, the state will look for the next available pool of assets.

Calmes: Enough navel-gazing, Democrats. Focus on the future

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

The party's advantage in these midterm elections is entirely thanks to Trump's and Republicans' own unpopularity.

Contributor: Use designated money to cool California schools, not to enrich utilities

Leah C. Stokes and Jonathan Klein — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

As the state gets hotter, even in winter, working air conditioning in classrooms is as essential as the lights or the roofing.

Contributor: For an affordable housing future, expanding access isn't enough

Carlos Fernando Avenancio-León — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Many first-time buyers don't account for insurance, taxes, repairs and income shocks that can put a strain on household finances.

Contributor: Almost-forgotten atrocity in Vietnam War holds lessons for the Trump era

Jacques Leslie — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Given President Trump's expressed openness to bombing Iran 'back to the Stone Ages,' Americans should acquaint themselves with the U.S. Army campaign that killed some 7,000 civilians.

Contributor: The case for a silent commute

Tamara Jiji — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Audiobooks? Podcasts? Phoning a loved one? Guided meditations? Must we always be entertained while in motion?

Column: The Democratic Party 'autopsy' somehow disappointed everyone

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:04:05 GMT

The same myths, arguments and empty sales pitches have hobbled Democrats for decades.

Contributor: What the marriage and family nostalgia is really about

Stephanie Coontz — Tue, 26 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Much of the pain in our social and family relations originates in a deeper part of the body politic. Reverting to homemaker/breadwinner roles would not solve the issues.

Contributor: Why billionaires shouldn't fuss over the wealth tax

Stephen Land — Sat, 23 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

America's wealthiest class collectively owns around $8 trillion. The math says a one-time levy won't even make a dent.

Contributor: The paradox of Trump's GOP

Josh Hammer — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:32:00 GMT

Older Republicans are in sync with the president on foreign policy and other issues, but the rising generations of conservatives are not. He can solve that.

Contributor: The GOP is collapsing under Trump's loyalty tests

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:10:00 GMT

The president is purging Republicans who stand against him, but polls show the party should be distancing itself from Trump.

Granderson: Should Black athletes boycott racist states? Yes. Everyone should.

LZ Granderson — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:03:00 GMT

The NAACP is calling on Black athletes, fans and alumni to withhold support from athletics programs of states that are gerrymandering to dilute Black votes.

Calmes: Obama's strong terms curbed Iran. Trump struggles to secure even a weak deal

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Since 2018, the president's actions have allowed Iran to rebuild its nuclear program. Now he is in a quagmire of his own creation.

Contributor: Conservation depends on cooperating and transcending borders

Ken Salazar and Leslie Harroun — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Communities in the Southwest learned long ago that water must be shared, neighbors must help one another, and the land must be respected.

Contributor: Trump has left himself only bad options on Iran

Daniel R. DePetris — Wed, 20 May 2026 10:10:00 GMT

The president's missteps led to Iran's current stockpile of nuclear material and Tehran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Contributor: The Navy's inexcusable accommodation of Kash Patel

Jon Duffy — Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The military is not a concierge service for powerful public officials.

Contributor: 'Heckler's veto' turned commencements into disinvitation season

Austin Sarat — Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Intolerance for dissenting viewpoints is a dominant theme on campuses that persists until the last diploma is handed out.

Contributor: San Diego mosque shooting follows increased Islamophobic rhetoric

Anisah Bagasra — Tue, 19 May 2026 21:50:00 GMT

Muslim Americans have been warning that political messages targeting Islam endanger the community. Republicans in Congress held hearings last week titled 'Sharia-Free America.'

Column: The Founding Fathers would've gotten rid of Trump long ago

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 19 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The president believes the only limit to his will is his own morality and his own mind. Alexander Hamilton had a different remedy.

Contributor: Chinese oppression is a personal affront to all people

Michael Arkush — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:05:00 GMT

You should care about the minorities targeted by Beijing 'because you are part of this world and they are part of this world.'

Contributor: L.A.'s mayoral candidates aren't interested in the real Skid Row

Vijay Gupta — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It's not simply Los Angeles' largest homeless community. It's also one of America's largest informal systems of rehabilitation, psychiatric triage and mutual survival.

Contributor: Ensure that California's journalism fund supports key players

Danielle Coffey — Mon, 18 May 2026 22:43:48 GMT

Newly proposed plans violate the core goal of the program: compensating local news publishers for their losses on a per-journalist basis.

Contributor: Trump is copying the worst of FDR's presidency with racial roundups

Evelyn Iritani — Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The Trump administration's campaign against the 'mongrelization' of America echoes imprisonment of Japanese Americans.

Granderson: Jason Collins came out so we all could keep moving forward

LZ Granderson — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:05:00 GMT

Until his death this month, the retired basketball player spent more than a decade campaigning for connections, bridging divides.

Contributor: Freed by Trump, the Jan. 6 criminals are preying on children and others

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:15:00 GMT

Dozens of the insurrections pardoned by the president have committed more crimes. That was an obviously foreseeable consequence of recklessly releasing rioters.

Contributor: Consider reconnecting in the season of Mother's Day and Father's Day

Susan Shapiro — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

For people estranged from their parents, there are some strategies to begin to reduce extreme severance, when appropriate and safe.

Contributor: Despite being overrun by businessmen, D.C. is anything but business as usual

Veronique de Rugy — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT

If a massive federal government cannot efficiently regulate industries, it cannot efficiently invest in them. Somewhere between Wall Street and Washington, this insight got lost.

Contributor: These last months of school are an opportunity, not just a drag

Anthony DePalma — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Incorporating special projects can keep students' interests alive, and there's nothing better than the spring sun to cast new light on old subjects.

Calmes: Trump surrendered to China before he even landed there

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

The president has humiliated himself by sacrificing the U.S. economy and U.S. military readiness, handing victories to our geopolitical rival.

Contributor: Can California's new online platform help rebuild democracy?

Jeffery Marino and Micah Weinberg — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Engaged California asks residents to deliberate on major issues facing the state, weigh in on policy options and create plans of action.

Contributor: 'Super meth' isn't exactly real, but the drug is a real factor in L.A. homelessness

Sam Quinones — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Hyper-pure methamphetamine is a major driver of mental illness in Los Angeles and many other parts of the country.

Contributor: Noah Kahan shows how common, and harmful, a delayed OCD diagnosis is

Lisa McCarty — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Without proper identification and effective treatment, obsessive compulsive disorder can be deadly.

Column: Cory Booker should be ashamed of himself

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 12 May 2026 17:30:00 GMT

On Sunday, the New Jersey senator told NBC that a recent Supreme Court decision sent Black Americans "backwards in time, back to the 1870s."

Contributor: Fuel drug development, not Big Pharma's profits

Kevin J. Morrison — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:17:00 GMT

More than 200 drugs in the pipeline for ALS are stuck in a system that favors big, slow-moving pharmaceutical companies.

Contributor: Therapy isn't the only help. Peers offer a different kind of support.

Bo Lopker — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:16:00 GMT

Counseling can be prohibitively expensive and sometimes is not even what's needed most. Sometimes people just need to feel heard and less alone.

Contributor: Elon Musk's chainsaw has brought world health crashing down

Robert B. Shpiner — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The dismantling of USAID could produce 14 million additional deaths by 2030, including 4.5 million children under 5, according to new data projections.

Contributor: However you feel about their creator, TrumpIRAs are sorely needed

Teresa Ghilarducci — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

The American retirement system does not work for the bottom half of earners. Trump's recent executive order begins to address that.

Contributor: Americans are in no position to joke about Nigerian corruption

Daniel Morris — Sat, 9 May 2026 10:04:00 GMT

Forget the "Nigerian prince" scams. The global face of corruption now is President Trump, thanks to endless allegations against him and his family and his administration.

Contributor: 'Trump 2028' could be a vote for Ivanka, Eric or Don Jr.

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 8 May 2026 10:26:00 GMT

With President Trump continuing to tank in the polls, the parlor game we know as "2028 Republican primary speculation" is back in full swing among the chattering classes.

Contributor: Obama should stop politicking and go enjoy retirement

Josh Hammer — Fri, 8 May 2026 10:03:00 GMT

Voters have rejected his brand and his legacy.

Granderson: Ted Turner and CNN created 24-hour news but couldn't control its future

LZ Granderson — Thu, 7 May 2026 20:35:00 GMT

Like reality television, cable news began with lofty ideals and was perverted by pursuit of profit.

Contributor: Which Democrat could repair the damage Trump did?

Jill Lawrence — Thu, 7 May 2026 10:19:00 GMT

Who can or should lead the party at a time like this?

Calmes: Trump's judicial nominees are fact-challenged and unfit

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 7 May 2026 10:12:00 GMT

Wannabe federal judges are going along with the president's delusions for the sake of their careers. That should be disqualifying for a judge.

Contributor: Trump's blockade is an act of war, not the end of war

Jon Duffy — Thu, 7 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The only thing more dangerous than the president's actions against Iran is Congress' silence.

Contributor: California law limiting bail is clear. Will judges keep ignoring it?

Chesa Boudin — Wed, 6 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

Pretrial liberty is meant to be the norm. Let's ensure the presumption of innocence means something.

Contributor: Xavier Becerra shows that his loyalty lies with fossil fuels

Bill McKibben — Wed, 6 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It's not just that this California gubernatorial candidate has taken big donations from Chevron. The real tell was that he refused to take on Big Oil over climate change when other attorneys general were suing.

Column: Stop waiting for Trump's own words to take him down

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 5 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT

The idea that one "hot mic" moment could tank a political career ended with the 2016 election.

Contributor: May we never grow inured to homelessness

Alison Owings — Tue, 5 May 2026 10:03:00 GMT

In California, we've grown tragically used to homelessness — the homelessness of others.

Contributor: How the waste in healthcare drives the U.S. debt

James Weinstein — Tue, 5 May 2026 10:01:00 GMT

About half of U.S. healthcare spending yields no added health benefit. Taxpayers foot much of that bill.

Contributor: Yes, billionaires must pay a wealth tax to save healthcare and democracy

Bernie Sanders — Mon, 4 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT

California's grotesque level of income and wealth inequality is an issue that we can no longer ignore and that we must confront.

Abcarian: Take a cue from the California billionaire unbothered by a targeted tax

Robin Abcarian — Sun, 3 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The so-called "billionaires tax" appears to be headed for the California ballot. Not all billionaires think it's reason to flee the state.

Contributor: The face Hollywood reserves for evil

Charlene Pell — Sat, 2 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Why are stories of bitter, dangerous, disfigured burn survivors still a predominant villain narrative on primetime TV?

Contributor: Trump's priorities are revenge and posing

Matt K. Lewis — Fri, 1 May 2026 10:07:00 GMT

After a gunman interrupted an event last week, the president had the nation's attention and could have done something productive. He didn't.

Granderson: What the audience has learned since the first 'Devil Wears Prada'

LZ Granderson — Fri, 1 May 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Gen X identified with the protagonist 20 years ago. After two bruising decades in the job market, we might see her actions as more foolish than heroic.

Contributor: The inequality gap we should be talking about: marriage

Veronique de Rugy — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

If the government can reliably replace the economic function of a spouse, will people stop choosing marriage?

Contributor: Supreme Court's decision against Voting Rights Act will be devastating

Erwin Chemerinsky — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Wednesday's ruling could allow some states to redraw their election districts in time for the 2026 elections.

Contributor: An emergency room is no place for immigration enforcement

Alana Slavin, Marina Martinez and Sascha Bercovitch — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Hospitals have largely cooperated with ICE rather than protect patients and staff.

Calmes: Americans aren't buying Trump's schtick anymore

Jackie Calmes — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:01:00 GMT

A growing majority of Americans see Trump as a cartoonish caricature of himself. And that includes some of his own voters.

Contributor: California's ocean is breaking heat records — but we can control it

Sean Bothwell — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

We're failing our marine wildlife and undermining an economic engine that supports our communities.

Contributor: Politics has come to work, once an apolitical space

Jerel Ezell — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:02:00 GMT

Now you don't have to 'talk politics' to highlight a political divide in the workplace. The colors people wear and the cars they drive can be enough to telegraph allegiances.

Contributor: The U.S. is still killing people at sea. It must explain why.

Jon Duffy — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Without legal justification the ongoing boat strikes are not normal, not constitutional and not something a free nation can simply get used to.

Column: Whenever political violence erupts, Washington starts playing the blame game

Jonah Goldberg — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

The hypocrisy of today's political rhetoric is bipartisan, fueling the idea that our opponents are existential enemies.