LOS ANGELES

DEEGAN ON LA-The Supreme Court recently struck down a federal law that had banned commercial sports betting in most states, with the notable exception of Nevada where it has been legal since 1949.

ALPERN AT LARGE--In this day and age of social media and false narratives, the response to the nightmarish and universally-condemned bloodbaths in El Paso, Gilroy, and Dayton are almost as predictable as they are unhelpful ... including the reality that social media and false narratives are as much to blame as anything for these unspeakable acts of barbarism. 

MY TURN--There are some things we should not have to discuss with our kids. Ever.

BCK FILE—Murder Math:

251 mass shootings in 219 days. 

33,028 total shooting incidents as of Sunday, August 4

GELFAND’S WORLD--If you look at the mass shooting totals since 1982 in Mother Jones (click on the link for the downloadable file) you will find that the total of dead and wounded has now surpassed the death toll from the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Admittedly the death total (more than 900) is lower, but when you add the number of wounded (more than 2200) the total surpasses the 3000 mark. 

OTHER WORDS-The Trump administration has proposed a rule that will cut an estimated 3 million eligible people off food stamps while depriving half a million eligible children of school lunch.

ONE MAN’S OPINION-If the Dems want to retake the Presidency, they need to impeach Nancy Pelosi.

GUEST WORDS--As I stepped inside the Cannon House Office Building on a Tuesday in July, I felt like I was taking a step towards a more just world.

ALPERN AT LARGE--Believe it or not, those "activists" who have all sorts of time on their hands to attend meetings and scream at lawmakers under pressure to, you know, make and enforce the laws that allow us to be civilized, do NOT have more rights than the rest of us. 

RANTZ & RAVEZ-I have often written about the homeless population and their anti-social lifestyle.

PLATKIN ON PLANNING-The climate crisis has arrived in California, and it is a preview of worse things to come.

JUST SAYIN’--The most ridiculous thing about Donald Trump’s xenophobic, demagogic assault on Central American amnesty seekers is that his frantic demand to build a $5-billion-dollar border wall isn’t his most ridiculous ploy. 

NEW GEOGRAPHY-The United States is a great country dominated by small minds.

EASTSIDER-Not too long ago, in June, Eric Garcetti proudly announced that he took “full responsibility” for LA’s homeless. You can read the lovely rhetoric here. 

GELFAND’S WORLD--The main importance of the latest Democratic presidential candidate debate was that it happened at all, thereby providing close to 6 hours of uninterrupted liberal messaging.

ONE MAN’S OPINION-The FBI had the audacity to raid the City Attorney’s office because the attorney who represented the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit against the LADWP worked for the City Attorney. What’s wrong with the FBI? Don’t they know how LA works? 

AT LENGTH-I’m not sure if any, except Harry Bridges, was ready for the battle over automation to arrive this soon. But it is here now, and Harry isn’t. 

@THE GUSS REPORT-One of the more amusing things to happen as I write columns on Los Angeles’ political corruption was when Ana Guerrero, the chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, started telling people, “nobody reads Dan’s column.” 

ALPERN AT LARGE--Last night I was part of a sad chapter in Westside history. I was one of the last few people to be served at Lenny's. The last group, actually--we closed down the place. 

BCK FILE--Cinematic auteurs at times use their vision to pay homage to a city. Certainly, the City of Angels, in large part due to its status as the Hollywood hometown, has played a starring role in numerous films. Last year, David Fear, Stephen Garrett, Tim Lowery, Joshua Rothkopf, and Keith Uhlich shared an expansive list of 57 films that the critics considered the “Best Los Angeles movies of all time.” 

DEEGAN ON LA-“Seventy-seven and sunny” is a good description of our typical Los Angeles Mediterranean-type climate, where we don’t really experience the elements of rain, snow, winds, thunderstorms and other atmospheric disturbances like most of the world.