MY GRANDFATHER’S LAST CHRISTMAS
By TONY CASTRO The last Christmas gifts my grandfather gave me came early—sometime in the middle of summer when I was just four years old. They were simple: a stuffed lion and a bear. Yet for him,...
Category: News & Politics
‘THE POLAR EXPRESS’ CHRISTMAS EXPRESS NEARS 40
When I was a young boy growing up in the suburbs of southeast Houston, every Christmas Eve I would sneak out onto our screened front porch and stare into the night sky as I tried to spot Santa’s...
THE COWBOY EFFECT AND YELLOWSTONE’S CULTURAL STYLE SHIFT
Fashion analyst and influencer Livia Gueissaz, delves deeply into TV series Yellowstone's cultural resonance and stylistic influence. BY LIVIA GUEISSAZ The television series Yellowstone has...
THE CUR$E OF THE CHILDI$H GAMBINO THAT WILL NOW HAUNT THE YANKEE$
This isn’t just a win for the Mets — it’s a psychological blow to the Yankees. For a franchise that has long prided itself on being the preeminent power in baseball, losing Juan Soto to the...
AN INTERVIEW WITH NOVELIST TONY CASTR0
Q. What made you decide to write this novel? Tony: I had forgotten about the very first column I ever wrote for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1978. I think the reason I forgot about it is that...
CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS? INFLUENCER PUTS IT TO A $1,000-A-DAY EXPERIMENT
Influencer Livia Gueissaz is turning heads with her latest personal experiment: spending a staggering $1,000 a day for 30 days to explore the connection between wealth and happiness. She reveals...
A FATHER’S LOVE, A PRESIDENT’S DILEMMA: ON JOE BIDEN’S PARDON OF HIS SON
By TONY CASTRO Fathers and Sons. And headaches and heartbreaks in between. Joe and Hunter Biden are like Turgenev's timeless depiction of generational conflict during social upheaval in another...
THE GHOSTS OF LUCY’S EL ADOBE: A LOVE STORY IN TACOS AND TEARS
Resurrecting Lucy's El Adobe Café, a beloved Hollywood landmark facing a hopeful revival, restaurateur heiress Patricia Casado fights to restore her father Frank's legacy. After years of decline,...
A 40-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, A SURPRISE MASS, AND A DASH TO DAN TANA’S
Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and pie—it’s about gratitude for the beautifully imperfect lives we lead, and for the people who walk beside us through it all. And this Thanksgiving, I am...
THE SWING OF THE PENDULUM: IS AMERICA TILTING RIGHT—AND IS THAT A BAD THING?
By TONY CASTRO In American politics, the pendulum never stops swinging. It glides through eras of change, overcorrects, and arcs back again, propelled by public mood, cultural shifts, and the...
THE STUPIDITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ ELITISM SELF-SABOTAGE
Democrats don’t lose presidential elections because they’re “too progressive.” They lose because they let the cultural left hijack the conversation, turning what should be a winning...
TAYLOR SWIFT’S WINTER WARDROBE, A MASTERCLASS IN COLD-WEATHER GLAMOUR
BY LIVIA GUEISSAZ As the seasons shift, so does Taylor Swift’s wardrobe. This winter, the global superstar embraces accessories as her standout style element. Fashion analyst and...
PENÉLOPE CRUZ & JAVIER BARDEM: A LOVE STORY WRITTEN IN THE STARS
FROM INTUITION TO FOREVER: HOW PENÉLOPE CRUZ AND JAVIER BARDEM BUILT A LOVE THAT THRIVES ON AND OFF THE SCREEN Hello, My Beautiful Friends, There’s something undeniably magical about the way...
ALEJANDRA CAMPOVERDI’S ‘FIRST GEN’: A TALE OF STRIFE AND SUCCESS
NOW OUT IN PAPERBACK! Alejandra Campoverdi explores many things familiar to first-generation kids: the invisible inheritances passed onto us from our family, being a “parentified child,”...
MY LIFE AS MARILYN, MY DEAD OLDER SISTER
The LA Monthly interview with actress Catherine Hicks, who portrayed Marilyn Monroe in the 1980 TV feature Marilyn: The Untold Story as well as in the Arthur Miller play After The Fall and...
MARCO RUBIO: THE REPUBLICAN SAVIOR OR TRUMP’S VENEER OF INCLUSIVITY?
Once hailed as the "Hispanic Obama," Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been appointed by President-elect Trump to serve as Secretary of State, the most prestigious Cabinet position a Latino has ever...
I’M WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS AT THE ALAMO WRITING A LAST PLEA FOR A MIRACLE
In Texas, we’re taught to stand our ground and brace for whatever comes next. Like Travis at the Alamo, I find myself hoping for a miracle—but I’m also half-expecting to be overwhelmed. By...
THE BETTER ANGELS OF TRUMP’S NATURE: A NEW ERA OR A WILDLY OPTIMISTIC MIRAGE
What if in Trump's Inaugural Address, the world were to witness one of the most profound transformations in recent political history? Trump proving that even the most polarizing figures can surprise...
HAMILTON & TRUMP: ‘THE STORY OF AMERICA THEN, TOLD BY AMERICA NOW’
Many of Donald Trump's supporters believe that his presidential election returns the nation to an America that’s recognizable to them, even if it exists mostly as an idea, one where their voices...
THE PRESIDENT-ELECT’S BESTIE AND WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL MAN
As Trump ushers him into diplomatic circles, Elon Musk’s power and reach will only grow. He isn’t restrained by political red tape or elections, and he isn’t bound to national allegiances....
IS CAITLYN JENNER POISED TO BE AMERICA’S FIRST TRANSGENDER?
Jenner’s Republican-leaning views, combined with her public journey of gender transition, turn her into something of a walking Rorschach test, with each side projecting their views onto her life...
‘LETS KILL ALL THE LAWYERS’ THEN STRING UP THE PARTY RASCALS
“Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race. The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary.”...
THE NOT SO BEST, THE NOT SO BRIGHTEST
How did Democrats lose the White House and almost everything else in 2024? Because Democratic party leaders thought their messaging didn't stink and, as legendary LBJ mentor Sam Rayburn might have...
TRUMP’S GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH: MUSK & RFK JR.
Will the Second Trump Administration become an unpredictable eccentric West Wing circus with Elon Musk, the world's richest man, juggling trillion dollar budget cuts and crusading Robert F. Kennedy...
THE POLITICAL COMEBACK OF GIL CISNEROS
Unlike many career politicians, Cisneros didn’t need to claw his way back into politics for financial security or status. His lottery win had taken care of that. And while his early life and...
A MESSAGE FROM RICK CARUSO: BRAVO, NATHAN HOCHMAN, THE NEW D.A.
Today is a new day for public safety in Los Angeles. Nathan Hochman won the race for District Attorney, a decisive victory showing residents want a change in the trajectory of our community. I...
FERNANDO VALENZUELA CELEBRATED BY LOVED ONES, COMMUNITY
A fitting choice of words came from former teammate and catcher Mike Scioscia, who spoke with the kind of reverence reserved for legends: 'He was a one-of-a-kind talent, a tremendous pitcher with...
GAVIN NEWSOM AND THE ART OF BEING THE RIGHT KIND OF DEMOCRAT
The California Governor is the best kind of bridge between America’s ideals and its realities. Newsom possesses a mix of both likability and depth, speaking to voters across race, class, and...
HOW DONALD TRUMP WOKE UP THE SLEEPING GIANT
Everything you thought you knew about Latino politics is meaningless and out of date, thanks to Donald Trump of all people and his stunning, historic political comeback, made possible in part by...
DONALD TRUMP: GETTING THE LAST LAUGH AND THE PRESIDENCY
Why didn't Kamala Harris and the Democrats just take the billion dollars they raised for her campaign and hand them over to Donald Trump to help him pay his legal debts and get on with the task of...
QUINCY JONES IN EXCELSUS
Quincy Jones was more than a musician or a producer. He was a bridge between worlds. He wasn’t just a part of American culture; he was a shaper of it. By TONY CASTRO I only met Quincy Jones once,...
Joe DiMaggio, Baseball Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You
Baseball doesn't need a halftime show. In fact, it doesn’t even have a halftime. And when you hear the national anthem, it’s supposed to be a clear transition from standing at attention to...
Aaron Judge: A Season of Success, a Fall Classic of Heartbreak
By TONY CASTRO Aaron Judge stands as a behemoth on the baseball diamond, a towering figure whose reputation as a power hitter commands respect from fans and foes alike. Yet, in this 2024...
Radical Chic & Mau Mauing Halloween on Obama Boulevard
It's Halloween and a few of us found ourselves on the corner of La Brea and Obama Boulevard, clutching our coffee and take-out bags like shields against the election hype that’s taken over our...
Mom iPhones Me From Heaven
Reminiscences in commemorating Día de Los Muertos, a mix of humor and nostalgia celebrating family, tradition and those ever-present connections we share with loved ones beyond this world. By TONY...
Elijah on the Loose: Snapshot of a Trump Supporter
By MARY FRANCES DAVIDSON Elijah walks toward me with a limp across the Easy Fix auto shop parking lot with a folded-down, green, beach umbrella. “See? The casino gave this to me,” he says under...
The Failure of a South African Billionaire Wannabe Publisher of the Los Angeles Times
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong's veto of the LA Times editorial board's endorsement of Kamala Harris for President has proven the biotech mogul to be more of a danger to journalism than the disease...
YANKEE FANS, ONLY PLACE MORE DANGEROUS THAN DODGER STADIUM IS CEDARS ER
The main attraction in the ER waiting room: a guy I’ll call Angry Dude whose vocabulary was impressive if you’re the sort of person who appreciates the many uses of the F-word. It was like a...
IF TAYLOR SWIFT RAN FOR PRESIDENT, WOULD SHE WIN?
By NILTON OLIVEIRA If Taylor Swift decided to run for president of the United States, with her fan base and global popularity, it wouldn’t be surprising if she won, such is the impact fame has on...
Sometimes It’s Not the Saint Who Wins— It’s the Sinner Who Sins Just a Little Less
By TONY CASTRO Let me tell you a little story about the miracle of scoundrels. No, I’m not talking about Lazarus rising from the dead, though Kevin de León’s political comeback might be the...
HOW FERNANDO WON THE HEARTS OF LA
The passing of Fernando Valenzuela marks the end of Fernandomania that began as a cultural phenomenon in 1980s Los Angeles as a young Mexican left-hander became the toast of the city and ultimately...
‘The Land of the Free…But Only If You’re Male’
Kamala Harris was supposed to be a historic figure, a torchbearer for progress, the long-awaited answer to what Hillary Clinton couldn’t deliver in 2016. Yet here we are, again, witnessing a...
JD Vance: The Bipartisan Savior or Trump’s New Disguise?
Something truly miraculous happened during the vice-presidential debate. Was it the arrival of JD Vance, the common-sense, bipartisan-talking, largely agreeable candidate? Who is this man?...
RIP, PETE ROSE: MORE THAN JUST THE KING OF HITS
By TONY CASTRO It’s hard to believe that Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, the man who turned more singles into doubles than most of us turn coffee into energy, has passed away at the...
THE EVOLUTION OF FASHION IN ‘AND JUST LIKE THAT’ SEASON 3: A DIVE INTO THE BOLDEST LOOKS
FASHION INFLUENCER LÍVIA GUEISSAZ EXPLORES HOW THE SERIES BLENDS ICONIC STYLES WITH MODERN TRENDS. With the third season of ‘And Just Like That’ production underway in New York City, fashion...
Ms. America, the Greatest Woman in the World!
Remembrances of a Single Mom: Burger King, Chanel No. 5, and a Lady Who Lost Her Mind. By MARY FRANCES DAVIDSON Growing up with my mom was like growing up with a movie star! She was...
Can Ysabel Jurado Really Throw the Rascal Out of Office, as Mark Twain Might’ve Said?
In a district as politically scarred as the 14th of Los Angeles, voter apathy is practically a local pastime. But this election could be different. After all, how many times can you elect a...
An Unmarked Grave: Burying All But the Memory of America’s Camelot
Perhaps it will take the death of the last baby boomer—gasping, clinging to an overstuffed armchair and a cherished first edition of Profiles in Courage—to finally bury the myth of Camelot, a...
Shohei Ohtani: The Best There Ever Was
I came to town to promote my books about a legendary baseball player, including one titled 'The Best There Ever Was.' I saw a ball game while here. And I wound up leaving feeling like I had...
J.D., You Were Always the Coolest Guy in Town
J.D had that rare gift of capturing heartbreak and hope all in one breath. He could take a moment, a feeling, and turn it into something timeless. It wasn’t just music; it was emotion set to...