The L.A. Local

10/04/2026

Locals brave the heat to hear LA City Council District 9 candidates lay out plans for policing, homelessness and street cleanups in South LA

Jose Ugarte and Estuardo Mazariegos, who are both running for LA City Council District 9, made their case to voters during a CD9 Coalition candidate forum moderated by The LA Local.

10/03/2026

LA was supposed to have a no-cost Olympics in 2028. The city has already spent $27 million

LA was supposed to have a no-cost Olympics in 2028. City Controller Kenneth Mejia is tracking spending inside the city, including about $11 million to pay workers in various city departments.

10/03/2026

A year after being canceled, Long Beach’s free Día de los Mu***os celebration is back

The party was canceled last year because of regional immigration raids. The festival will return this November — just on a smaller scale.

10/03/2026

Inglewood’s mayor cut off a public commenter who brought up an allegation against him during a City Council meeting

A free speech expert says Inglewood Mayor James Butts violated state public meeting law.

10/03/2026

Hernan Martinez, the teen killed in a South LA hit-and-run, is remembered as a crocheter who loved baking

Born to a tight-knit family from Oaxaca, Mexico, loved ones described Hernan Martinez as shy, gentle and creative.

10/02/2026

LA is installing hundreds of speed cameras. Here’s how the city will catch and fine risky drivers

Road safety advocates heralded the technology as potentially as lifesaving as seat belts.

10/02/2026

Inglewood locals, now is your chance to weigh in on future development plans

Inglewood is redrawing the city map for the first time in nearly 40 years, and locals have until Oct. 15 to submit comments about the plans.

10/02/2026

Mayor Karen Bass is worried federal authorities could remove unhoused people from the streets of Los Angeles around venues ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

It was one of several issues Bass discussed in a sit-down interview with 21 student reporters from The LA Local’s Youth Journalism Program on Wednesday. The students from Boyle Heights, East LA, South LA, Koreatown, Pico Union and Westlake pressed Bass on issues affecting their communities, including homelessness, immigration, street vending, MacArthur Park, youth services and accountability after the Lineage fire.

Mayor Bass expressed concern that federal authorities could overstep their reach into Los Angeles if the city does not present a plan to protect Angelenos, including people experiencing homelessness.

A spokesperson for Bass clarified the federal government has already withheld federal funding for homeless services in the region and could take drastic measures to house people living on the streets without following any due process.

Read the full Q&A with Mayor Bass at the link in The LA Local’s bio.

This story was produced under The LA Local’s Youth Journalism Program. To learn more or to get involved, head to thelalocal.org

✍️Hanna Kang, LA Local Youth Journalists
🎥 Nick Ducassi

10/02/2026

‘We have to be fearless’: The Latino Theater Company’s Aztec-era ‘Antigone’ speaks to LA in 2026

'Antigone' star Esperanza América spoke with The LA Local about the play’s relevance today, the role of artists in challenging times and the Latino Theater Company’s 41-season run.

10/02/2026

A new adaptation of the Greek tragedy “Antigone,” set in pre-conquest Tenochtitlan and coproduced by Latino Theater Co. at The LATC and the Getty, offers contemporary LA audiences a lot to chew on, says Esperanza Amèrica, who plans Antigone:

“Antigone fights for what she believes in, and she never gives up no matter what. And even though it’s scary, I think in moments like this, it’s important to step out there, be scared, speak up and not be afraid,” América recently told LA Local reporter Nick Ducassi after a recent performance.

This iteration of “Antigone,” which was originally written by Sophocles around 442 B.C., features a new adaptation that fully embraces Aztec mythology and is performed in three languages: English, Spanish and Nahuatl.

América spoke with about the play’s relevance to 2026 audiences, what artists are called to do in challenging times, and the key to the longevity of the Latino Theater Company, which is currently celebrating its 41st season. Read the full Q&A with América at the link in bio.

✍️ Nick Ducassi
📸 Courtesy of Craig Schwartz Photography; Courtesy of © 2026 J. Paul Getty Trust
🎥 Nick Ducassi ; Courtesy of © 2026 J. Paul Getty Trust