LOS ANGELES

DATA POWERFUL - Amazon continues its relentless crusade to monopolize markets, crush rivals, and extract as much data as possible from unsuspecting consumers and third-party merchants. 

ALPERN-AT-LARGE-It's probably a safe conclusion that many, if not most, Angelenos, want LA Mayor Eric Garcetti to become President Biden's new Ambassador to India just to get his failed mayoral leadership as far away from Los Angeles as possible. 

GELFAND’S WORLD-The City of Los Angeles is moving towards a system in which civic employees can be accused of thought crimes and disciplined for a joke or tone of voice or perhaps just a raised eyebrow.

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom July 19, signed the largest funding and reform package for housing and homelessness in California history as part of the $100 billion California Comeback Plan.

Two farm workers died during a recent heatwave in Washington and Oregon. While this is outrageous, it’s not unusual. Farm workers die in hot weather every year.

Get ready for whiplash: After receiving $1.3 billion in new money from lawmakers this year, the University of California now wants to raise tuition on each incoming undergraduate class. Every year. Indefinitely.

ACADEMIC PANDEMIC-When it’s isolated and examined, the decision by the University of California almost looks courageous: Get vaccinated or you’re not allowed on any UC campus this fall.

THE CITY-Malibu corrupts, but “we welcome the scrutiny.” Allegations were made by Jefferson Wagner in the form of an affidavit that he made public at the Malibu City Council meeting of Dec. 14, 2020 — the last night of his second and last term.

PLANNING WATCH-If you went to a doctor with a serious illness, and he or she recommended an unapproved miracle cure, you might be intrigued, but once out the door, would look for another physician.

CONNECTING CALIFORNIA-Have a little faith, Californians. Even if you can’t stand the religion or politics of your local churches, you might find their congregations to be valuable saviors -- of your historic and endangered movie theaters. 

EASTSIDER-Chutzpah is a wonderful word with which to brand the LA City Council, particularly when it comes to their new Ordinance putting the homeless in their place.

COMMENTARY-We couldn’t get rid of Trump. We have Councilmembers and City employees who have to be forced out of office for documented malfeasance. 

VIEW FROM HERE-Both the White Supremacists and the Woker racists have reversed E Pluribus Unum and want to slice and dice the nation into warring factions for their own hatreds and financial profit. 

THE DOCTOR IS IN-As mentioned in my last CityWatch article, let's make something clear: the biggest problem with COVID-19 are the competing messages and conflicting narratives that confuse virtually everyone. 

GELFAND’S WORLD-We've got the governor's recall election coming up in barely two months, and the clowns are parading into the ring. Here are three questions that ought to be asked of every candidate: 

RECALL 411-By 5 p.m. Friday, would-be candidates to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom were asked to put up — in the form of filing fees or signatures and five years worth of tax returns that were posted Sunday — or shut up. 

CAPITAL & MAIN-John Anton’s first job, sweeping floors and packaging merchandise, wasn’t much different from many first jobs. The problem was it was a dead end. 

CALIFORNIA SHRINKING-Some longtime Californians view the continued net outmigration from their state as a worrisome sign, but most others in the Golden State’s media, academic, and political establishment dismiss this demographic decline as a “myth.” 

THE CITY-First, a request for a Mayoral Special Election:

VOICES-Every 10 years following the U.S. Census -- the Los Angeles City Administrative Code, adhering to the California State Constitution -- requires that city council district boundaries be redrawn to substantially equal each other in population for fair constituent representation. 

THE DOCTOR IS IN-Let's make something clear: the biggest problem with COVID-19 are the competing messages and conflicting narratives that confuse virtually everyone.