LOS ANGELES

NEW GEOGRAPHY--The rise of automation and artificial intelligence is keeping many Americans up at night, worrying about their jobs, and certainly those of their children.

CLIMATE POLITICS--Harken! Good news (maybe) “encouraging news” is a better description, as Negative Emissions Technology (“NET”) starts coming into focus.

TRANSIT TALK-By most accounts (and there are always skeptics) the recent wildfires that rampaged through California bringing fear, danger, destruction, and death, were unprecedented in their ferocity and strength.

CAL MATTERS--Democrats flipped six GOP-held House districts where President Trump had low approval ratings

GELFAND’S WORLD— The president made what he thought was a slighting remark towards a judicial decision -- referring to the judge as being the result of an Obama appointment.

@THE GUSS REPORT-Well, that was quick. Last week, I posed this question about the upcoming race for Jose Huizar’s LA City Council seat: “will (his wife Richelle) quit the race before the end of the year? Smart money says yes.” 

MY TURN--I am thankful for a public education system that devoted a lot of time in the study of fascist regimes.

CORRUPTION WATCH--Years ago I took improv classes at MICE, run by Michael Chain who taught some valuable lessons which also apply outside of theater. 

GUEST WORDS--"If I want your opinion I'll give it to you." - Samuel Goldwyn

CAL MATTERS -- The sun was beginning to set as Jim Wood stepped out of the examination room at the Sacramento morgue and padded into the lobby, white surgical booties covering his shoes.

NEW GEOGRAPHY--In this year’s elections, particularly in California, the suburbs spoke, and essentially destroyed Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

ALPERN AT LARGE--It's hard to say if being positive has any traction these days, but I'll play the role of the "naive doctor" and try a go at it.

CORRUPTION WATCH-Despite the seven warrants for Councilmember Jose Huizar’s offices and home, the FBI will be blind to the vast never-ending multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise which is commonly called the LA City Council.

EDUCATION POLITICS--Why is Betsy DeVos afraid? In her first year in office, some protestors in Washington, D.C., objected to her visit at a public school.

AT LENGTH-I ran into Thom and Jerry at the bank recently — not the cartoon characters, but a local realtor and a businessman.

ALPERN AT LARGE--As stated in my last article, the elections are over but the fires are certainly NOT.

DEEGAN ON LA-The heavens may have been filled with cinematic stars, as Wilshire Boulevard Temple congregant and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer mogul Louis B. Mayer (who also donated the temple’s east and west stained-glass windows) famously declared in his statement describing MGM as “having more stars than there are in the heavens.” 

CAL BUZZ--Nearly a decade ago, we offered some suggestions to the GOP to help it become relevant again. They have rigorously ignored us and now, after watching the Blue Tsunami in California, just might listen. So, we’re re-posting our piece from 2010.

GUEST WORDS--God bless the Finns. They've been there for us after the Idiot-In-Chief visited a ravaged California - the  death count is now 76, with 1,300 feared dead - stood awkwardly in the rubble of what was once Paradise, which he called "Pleasure," and spewed gibberish. 

@THE GUSS REPORT-LA City Hall was abuzz last week about City Council president Herb Wesson stripping his best friend, LA’s lecherous lawmaker, Jose Huizar of his committee positions, including his Chair of the powerful Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) committee just days after the FBI raided Huizar’s City Hall office and home. 

NEW GEOGRAPHY--It turns out that tech oligarchs aren’t much better than old dogs at learning new tricks. By splitting his much coveted supposed second headquarters between New York City and greater Washington D.C., Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is repeating what worked for him in Seattle while saying “yes, sir” to power.