Alissa Walker
@awalkerinla.bsky.social
25K followers 480 following 1.4K posts
I'm a writer and a walker in LA. Tracking the city's megaevent progress at Torched. Co-host LA Podcast, new episodes drop every Monday. LAUSD mom. @awalkerinla everywhere else. Sign up for my newsletter at torched.la 🔥
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awalkerinla.bsky.social
Thanks to John Oliver for quoting my highly scientific analysis proving we don’t need federal troops in LA
Reposted by Alissa Walker
reporterliz.bsky.social
What appears to be happening is there have been rumors and now this seems to help confirm them.

Businessman Austin Beutner, also a former LAUSD superintendent and one time LA Times publisher, might be throwing his hat into the ring to challenge LA Mayor Karen Bass.
reporterliz.bsky.social
Hmm? What's happening here?
awalkerinla.bsky.social
Two after-action fire reports point to severe lapses in communications, including failures to properly issue emergency alerts and evacuation orders.

As we welcome more megaevent visitors to the region in the coming years, who is responsible for sounding the alarms about fire risk and extreme heat?
Red flag warning
What happens if disaster strikes when millions of tourists are in town?
www.torched.la
Reposted by Alissa Walker
daviddaniel.bsky.social
❤️ this from @awalkerinla.bsky.social: “Maybe when people land at LAX, we have them scan a QR code that introduces them to their local forecast communicator, checks if they need emergency translation services, signs them up for NotifyLA, and automatically installs the Watch Duty app on their phone.”
Red flag warning
What happens when disaster strikes as millions of tourists are in town?
www.torched.la
Reposted by Alissa Walker
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
My first thought was “wow I hope this guy didn’t give out his name because he could absolutely be charged” and yup, he is correct to stay anonymous.

This man’s account is shocking. His neighbors’ situation is shocking. The entire Chicago raid is shocking.
On the other side was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for his help.
"I wasn't planning on letting her stay, but I didn't know what the hell was going on," the man said of his Venezuelan migrant neighbors. But he quickly relented. The little girl was inconsolable and hid under his bed.
"I didn't want them to take her," said the man, who didn't want to be named because he fears he'll be targeted by federal authorities for his actions.
"I gave her my bedroom, and I just told her,
'Just stay there. Don't open, don't, shh, just stay quiet," he recalled telling the mom and daughter as he choked back tears.
Reposted by Alissa Walker
djangowexler.bsky.social
My boss: so how's our fourth quarter looking?

Me, the sales manager at the company that makes inflatable frog suits: well, you're never going to believe this, but
Reposted by Alissa Walker
cmonstah.bsky.social
Early in the year I was contracted to do a series for WaPo about the aesthetics of the Trump administration. That project was just cancelled.

You can read my final column — about Confederate monuments and Charlie Kirk — in my newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

buttondown.com/cmonstah/arc...
Reposted by Alissa Walker
Reposted by Alissa Walker
nyreviewofarch.bsky.social
We’re doing a sequel! NYRA proudly presents LARA 2.

nyra.nyc/lara
awalkerinla.bsky.social
Feel like he was not emotionally prepared for this it's been almost two hours and still nothing
awalkerinla.bsky.social
*immediately clicks over to Spencer Pratt’s Instagram account for reaction videos*
Governor Newsom builds on this year's historic housing reforms, signs legislation to accelerate housing and affordability
What you need to know: Governor Newsom signed legislation to help boost housing affordability for California families, continuing the momentum of the state's monumental
housing progress. SACRAMENTO - Building on the historic housing legislation signed earlier this year, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Senate Bill 79 (Wiener) and additional bills to make it easier and faster to build more homes - expanding inventory and access across California. These measures cut red tape and hold local governments accountable, so families don't have to wait years for housing to
be approved and built in their communities.
The legislation is intended to meet the needs of Californians across our state - from providing farmworkers with safe and affordable homes, to converting empty office buildings into housing, and creating more housing near public transportation.
Together, these efforts are about making sure Californians have more housing choices and access to opportunity.
Reposted by Alissa Walker
yonahfreemark.com
California's governor has signed SB 79, a large-scale upzoning of land near transit throughout the state's largest counties.
Reposted by Alissa Walker
awalkerinla.bsky.social
There is no such thing as a “no-build” Olympics. The venues still go up, and whether they’re funded by billionaires or public money, the people always end up paying the price
To quiet critics, Steve Ballmer, the 10th-richest person in the world, and city officials pointed to social investments, including new EV charging stations, 1,000 new trees, and a high-profile carbon offset partnership with the fintech company Aspiration. However, that company is now under federal investigation for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud, accused of failing to deliver its promised offsets. Investigators are also scrutinizing allegations that the Clippers funneled $28 million through Aspiration for a no-show endorsement deal with star Kawhi Leonard.
Black residents said the pledges to "make Inglewood more green" feel hollow now.
"Our businesses and schools are closing, our people are leaving, and nothing about that feels sustainable," Dixon said.
Reposted by Alissa Walker
awalkerinla.bsky.social
“The most profound impacts of the Intuit Dome’s rise can be found in daily life. Traffic gridlock and relentless event schedules have made routine activities, from grocery shopping and evening strolls to visiting elderly relatives confined to their homes, feel like navigating a maze, residents said”
awalkerinla.bsky.social
“For city leaders, the new entertainment district and the $7 billion Olympic Games offer a spotlight for waves of investment. For thousands of Black renters and homeowners, they signal another chapter in a long cycle of rising rents, displacement, and environmental burdens” @adamlmahoney.bsky.social
In LA, Olympic Dreams Lead to Nightmares for a Historic Black Community
A federal investigation exposed a shady deal that has bigger ramifications for one of the metro area’s disappearing Black enclaves.
capitalbnews.org
awalkerinla.bsky.social
There is no such thing as a “no-build” Olympics. The venues still go up, and whether they’re funded by billionaires or public money, the people always end up paying the price
To quiet critics, Steve Ballmer, the 10th-richest person in the world, and city officials pointed to social investments, including new EV charging stations, 1,000 new trees, and a high-profile carbon offset partnership with the fintech company Aspiration. However, that company is now under federal investigation for hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud, accused of failing to deliver its promised offsets. Investigators are also scrutinizing allegations that the Clippers funneled $28 million through Aspiration for a no-show endorsement deal with star Kawhi Leonard.
Black residents said the pledges to "make Inglewood more green" feel hollow now.
"Our businesses and schools are closing, our people are leaving, and nothing about that feels sustainable," Dixon said.
awalkerinla.bsky.social
“The most profound impacts of the Intuit Dome’s rise can be found in daily life. Traffic gridlock and relentless event schedules have made routine activities, from grocery shopping and evening strolls to visiting elderly relatives confined to their homes, feel like navigating a maze, residents said”
awalkerinla.bsky.social
“For city leaders, the new entertainment district and the $7 billion Olympic Games offer a spotlight for waves of investment. For thousands of Black renters and homeowners, they signal another chapter in a long cycle of rising rents, displacement, and environmental burdens” @adamlmahoney.bsky.social
In LA, Olympic Dreams Lead to Nightmares for a Historic Black Community
A federal investigation exposed a shady deal that has bigger ramifications for one of the metro area’s disappearing Black enclaves.
capitalbnews.org
awalkerinla.bsky.social
“For city leaders, the new entertainment district and the $7 billion Olympic Games offer a spotlight for waves of investment. For thousands of Black renters and homeowners, they signal another chapter in a long cycle of rising rents, displacement, and environmental burdens” @adamlmahoney.bsky.social
In LA, Olympic Dreams Lead to Nightmares for a Historic Black Community
A federal investigation exposed a shady deal that has bigger ramifications for one of the metro area’s disappearing Black enclaves.
capitalbnews.org
awalkerinla.bsky.social
So wait when did this meeting happen before or after this little spat
awalkerinla.bsky.social
Here's the letter with the legal explanation for how Bass is proposing this could happen: mayor.lacity.gov/sites/g/file...
Providing fire affected properties with a time limited exemption from Measure ULA
can be accomplished in two steps:
For the first step, I request that the City Council adopt an ordinance giving the
Director of Finance increased delegated authority to promulgate rules that grant
this limited one-time exemption to Measure ULA. I request that the Council adopt
such an ordinance as soon as possible. I look forward to signing it into law. After
adoption of the ordinance, I will issue an executive directive instructing the
Director of Finance to promulgate a temporary exemption that provides much
needed relief for those Palisades residents who owned and occupied residential
property in the Palisades at the time of the fire, avoids unintended loopholes, and
furthers the purpose of ULA.
awalkerinla.bsky.social
Mayor Karen Bass is asking LA's city council to pass an ordinance that would exempt Pacific Palisades transactions from ULA, the city's transfer tax.

Of note: "The letter follows a meeting with Rick Caruso, founder of Steadfast LA, who proposed ideas to help address this issue"
Mayor Bass Takes Action to Provide New Relief to Palisades Fire Survivors, Accelerate Community Recovery

Calls on City Council to Provide Fire-Affected Properties with Time-Limited Exemption, Announces Mayoral Executive Directive

LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass announced actions to provide new relief to Palisades Fire survivors and accelerate community recovery. She called on the City Council to adopt an ordinance that would assist in the establishment of a one-time exemption to Measure ULA for Palisade homeowners and announced that once the ordinance is adopted she would issue an executive directive to direct the Office of Finance to create the rule providing this exemption. The letter follows a meeting with Rick Caruso, founder of Steadfast LA, who proposed ideas to help address this issue. The Mayor’s plan to create a time limited exemption from the Measure ULA property transfer tax will help homeowners who need to or wish to move from the fire impacted area and speed up sales of these properties and spur rebuilding and rehabilitation of the Palisades.
Reposted by Alissa Walker
sarahenni.bsky.social
New On the Bleachers! @zanopticon.bsky.social & I on playoff baseball; players taking on WNBA; downright erotic sports coverage; James Dolan is watching you; & @awalkerinla.bsky.social tells us about covering LA's upcoming mass sporting events!

🔶 Apple bit.ly/3KAPzTJ
🔶 Spotify bit.ly/471NW91
Reposted by Alissa Walker
awalkerinla.bsky.social
The findings of the after-action report are also extremely relevant to the deal the city is making with LA28 if/when a fire breaks out during the summer of 2028.

This part: "Fire alert plan costs: equipment pre-positioning costs and venue evacuation costs if wind fire conditions or worse arise"
awalkerinla.bsky.social
In a city with a billion-dollar budget hole unable to provide basic services now, what happens when millions more people are here? Just thinking about the trash alone is stressing me out.

And who's paying for the heat injury prevention plans when it's 100 degrees for a week in the summer of 2028?
11. Does the ECRMA Require Funding for the Following Specific Direct Costs for
Games Security, Fire, Sanitation and Public Transit ? All direct security costs for Police, Fire and Public Transportation, including salaries, overtime, intra-agency communication systems, technology, extra vehicles, and equipment needed to manage extended shifts without shade or
shelter; All law enforcement mutual aid costs including housing, salaries, food and transportation for all mutual aid officers mandated by federal authorities (mutual
aid will not be reimbursed by the State for non-emergency deployments);
Transportation safety officers on public transit used for the Games; Infrastructure and staff for Emergency Medical Services Heat Injury Prevention Plans (e.g., cooling and watering stations, shade canopies, posted EMS staff along walking routes and at venues; extra medical and first aid equipment
costs);
Core alvin noon iguan we posioning costs and venue evacuation All direct costs for enhanced transit and transportation including extra train cars;
synchronized and aligned emergency response and communications systems;
All direct costs for road and freeway closures;
All extra insurance costs; All direct costs for sanitation including non- customary salaries, overtime for
extended 24/7 day cleaning, extra trash pickup.
awalkerinla.bsky.social
The findings of the after-action report are also extremely relevant to the deal the city is making with LA28 if/when a fire breaks out during the summer of 2028.

This part: "Fire alert plan costs: equipment pre-positioning costs and venue evacuation costs if wind fire conditions or worse arise"
awalkerinla.bsky.social
In a city with a billion-dollar budget hole unable to provide basic services now, what happens when millions more people are here? Just thinking about the trash alone is stressing me out.

And who's paying for the heat injury prevention plans when it's 100 degrees for a week in the summer of 2028?
11. Does the ECRMA Require Funding for the Following Specific Direct Costs for
Games Security, Fire, Sanitation and Public Transit ? All direct security costs for Police, Fire and Public Transportation, including salaries, overtime, intra-agency communication systems, technology, extra vehicles, and equipment needed to manage extended shifts without shade or
shelter; All law enforcement mutual aid costs including housing, salaries, food and transportation for all mutual aid officers mandated by federal authorities (mutual
aid will not be reimbursed by the State for non-emergency deployments);
Transportation safety officers on public transit used for the Games; Infrastructure and staff for Emergency Medical Services Heat Injury Prevention Plans (e.g., cooling and watering stations, shade canopies, posted EMS staff along walking routes and at venues; extra medical and first aid equipment
costs);
Core alvin noon iguan we posioning costs and venue evacuation All direct costs for enhanced transit and transportation including extra train cars;
synchronized and aligned emergency response and communications systems;
All direct costs for road and freeway closures;
All extra insurance costs; All direct costs for sanitation including non- customary salaries, overtime for
extended 24/7 day cleaning, extra trash pickup.