Mainstream California Democrats survived election night, but their brand remains challenged ^40.9%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie - 6/7/2026, 10:00 AM

Hasty Generalization 26.6% - Appeal to Emotion 22.2% - Negativity Bias 18.7%

When Nithya Raman stepped up to a podium on the night of L.A.’s mayoral primary election, she thanked her supporters for standing up to the “powerful interests” who spent millions of dollars trying to “preserve this city’s broken and unjust status quo.” “At a time when so many people have written Los Angeles off or have lost hope in the... more

AI has invaded the L.A. mayor's race. Some fear it's just the beginning ^26.1%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie - 5/18/2026, 10:00 AM

Negativity Bias 26.3% - Hasty Generalization 15.4% - Anecdotal 14.4%

The Hollywood sign is ablaze as Spencer Pratt, the reality TV star now running for mayor of Los Angeles, suits up as Batman, enters City Hall and leads the people to overthrow a cabal of corrupt, out-of-touch progressives intent on destroying the city. Then he is Luke Skywalker. Dressed in a Jedi robe, he swoops through the city on an... more

Voter ID controversy headed for California with initiative on November ballot ^10.9%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie, Dakota Smith - 4/24/2026, 11:45 PM

Framing Effect 19.9% - Negativity Bias 14.4% - Hasty Generalization 11.2%

SACRAMENTO — California voters will have the opportunity in November to weigh in on a contentious ballot measure pushed by Republicans that would require all voters in future elections to show identification every time they vote in person or provide a special PIN when submitting mail-in ballots. Supporters of the measure, which elections... more

In Britain, Steve Hilton was inspired by California. Now, he calls it the worst-run state ^15.2%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie - 4/22/2026, 10:00 AM

Negativity Bias 27.1% - Biased Writer Voice 13.9% - Framing Effect 10.7%

Steve Hilton is a former Fox News host who has unexpectedly emerged as a leading candidate in the race for governor with a message that California is a failed state in need of radical reform. But his sudden rise in California politics comes a decade and a half after he pitched the U.K. Conservative Party with a very different idea:... more

Los Angeles’ population is shrinking. Is region headed for a Rust Belt ‘death spiral’? ^69.1%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie - 4/9/2026, 10:00 AM

Post Hoc (False Cause) 27.4% - Pessimism Bias 14.9% - Negativity Bias 11.4%

Long the epicenter of population growth in the United States, Los Angeles is slowly losing its people because of a series of demographic shifts that experts say could have profound implications for the county if trends continue. High housing prices have led a growing number of residents to leave the region for more affordable parts of... more

Top Trump officials reverse themselves on Minneapolis shooting. Is it policy change or damage control? ^81.8%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie, Andrea Castillo - 1/28/2026, 11:20 PM

Top Trump officials reverse themselves on Minneapolis shooting. Is it policy change or damage control? A gunshot perforation can be seen in a window in front of a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti on Monday in Minneapolis. Minneapolis — Key Republicans in the Trump administration are retreating from their blanket defense of Border... more

Scrutiny builds over killing of Alex Pretti; Trump sends Homan to Minnesota ^74.3%

Los Angeles Times - By Jenny Jarvie - 1/26/2026, 4:56 PM

As federal immigration tactics face mounting legal and political scrutiny after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a Minneapolis man over the weekend, President Trump announced Monday he was dispatching his border advisor Tom Homan to Minnesota. Until now, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino has overseen the federal government’s... more