LOS ANGELES

Blackwater founder Erik Prince on Wednesday faced fresh accusations of being a war profiteer in response to reporting that he's charging $6,500 per person for a seat on an evacuation flight out of Kabul.

ERIC PREVEN’S NOTEBOOK - Handing out cold water bottles is the one thing people all agree is an important component to Outreach to the homeless.

WIEW FROM HERE - Candidate Biden was centrist when he said during the campaign that the election was about “Your family,” meaning that it was not GOP or Dem, it was not Black or White, it was not the Coasts vs the Heartland. 

COMMENTARY-I have a dilemma. How can we ensure we don’t get the worst of the worst if the recall passes?

COMMENTARY - WIMBY’s (“Wall St. In My Back-Yard,” a term which was coined by Zev Yaroslavsky and Jill Stewart in TPR), density fetishists, urban supremacists, and assorted anti-housing pluralism ideologues of all stripes are increasingly sensitive about how their crusade against single-family neighborhoods almost reflexively paints them as Wall Street and developer shills. 

COMMENTARY-Washington Post released an opinion piece slamming Larry Elder’s position on minimum wage, citing 2016 poll numbers and calling $7.25 federal minimum wage “paltry.”

DEEGAN ON LA - (Number 6 in a series about Councilperson Nithya Raman (CD4).) Councilmember Nithya Raman (CD4) is not ready to “press play” on clearing out homeless encampments.

CA HOUSING POLICIES-California had a huge and growing housing problem before COVID-19 reared its ugly head 18 months ago, falling well short each year of state construction goals. 

THE DOCTOR IS IN - After dozens of executive orders from newly-elected President Joe Biden, it was obvious that he tried to reverse history and "de-Trumpify" the federal government. 

COVID WATCH - New York City was first. It was on Aug. 3 that the city’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, announced that people wishing to dine indoors at a restaurant, go to a gym, catch a concert or take in a Broadway show would need to show proof of at least one dose of COVID vaccination first.

COVID WATCH - Even as pediatric COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically across the country, the Los Angeles Unified School District has decided not to disclose to some parents that students in their children’s classrooms have tested positive for the disease.

TODAY'S POLITICS - Some pundits and politicians are hailing the Senate’s approval of a bipartisan infrastructure bill — with all 50 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting in support — as evidence that bipartisanship is possible and that there’s no need to scuttle the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to pass any legislation.

THE DOCTOR IS IN - While there is a great deal of confusion and mixed messaging (and NO, Dr. Fauci or President Biden, you've not been the best communicator to the American People with respect to a clear approach to dealing with the COVID-19 virus), the need for vaccination and booster shots to COVID-19 has never been more clear.

VIEW FROM HERE - After receiving her social security and her pension checks, the Widow M was trudging along tending to her rental business, when a gang of neo-nazis attacked her and stole her social security and pension money and then for good measure, they emptied out her account of its $27,000.00. 

ERIC PREVEN'S NOTEBOOK - Not Funny Section: Jeff Ebenstein, who was ghosted in the articles about money raising in CD5, the richest of districts. 

EASTSIDER - It’s getting boring to say that I couldn’t make this up, but it’s true. LADOT is going to build a traffic circle at 50^th and Meridian, by the York Park, even though it’s the wrong place.

PLANNING WATCH-After four years (2018-2021) of endless City Council motions, reports, hearings, debates, and votes, Los Angeles finally has a Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO). 

ERIC PREVEN"S NOTEBOOK - Holiday: The Board has shamefully cancelled more meetings for Aug. 17 & 24; the next public board meeting will be on Aug. 31, 2021 (Pls check the fine print.) 

CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS - Before the novel coronavirus reached the U.S. early last year, teachers, administrators and parents in most K-12 school districts could fairly quickly answer a few basic questions:

RECALL POLITICS - California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner is back into the swing of her campaign after spending weeks filming a reality show in Australia, and it appears she’s desperately trying to make up for lost time.

SOUTH OF THE 10 - Compton Councilman Isaac Galvan was arrested for allegedly rigging recent elections which saw him win by a single vote in the June General Election.  During the primary he was behind his opponent by 20 votes.