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Opinion: Is planting trees on Arbor Day one way we can all fight climate change? Not so much
In California and beyond, responsibly managing and conserving mature forests is far more important to reducing atmospheric levels of carbon.
Opinion: Is social media rewiring kids' brains? Here's what the science really says
Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" feeds the latest technology panic. But the research says something different.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-26/kids-social-media-brain-smartphones
Letters to the Editor: Opposing views on the Grants Pass homelessness case at the Supreme Court
Some readers say it's wrong to criminalize homelessness to please the housed. Others say public spaces should be preserved for public use.
Letters to the Editor: I'm a maternal-fetal doctor. Here's why Idaho's abortion ban is extremely dangerous
A maternal-fetal specialist says women who have delayed medically necessary abortions have died, and Idaho's strict ban poses extreme risk.
Editorial: Sending armed troops to quash peaceful campus protests is a dangerous idea
The U.S. military shouldn't squash antiwar protests on college campuses, no matter what House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican politicians say.
'Disability Intimacy' starts a long-overdue conversation
Editor Alice Wong refuses to shut out the 'other' in this collection of essays, poems and stories on topics such as BDSM, queer love and intergenerational relationships.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-26/alice-wong-book-disability-intimacy
Letters to the Editor: Anti-trans Murrieta school board sounds a lot like racist Southern leaders in the 1950s
A Murrieta school board member claims the state is being dictatorial by protecting trans students. That reasoning sounds eerily familiar.
Opinion: USC's 'security risk' rationale to thwart peaceful protest is not justified
There's a surreal disconnect between the demonstrations and the threats cited by USC to arrests and threats of suspension or explusion at USC.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-25/california-usc-protest-lapd
Editorial: Only dictators have immunity from criminal acts while in power
Supreme Court justices' questions during oral argument on Donald Trump's claim that he is immune from criminal acts indicate that they see that giving dictator-like powers to U.S. presidents is d...
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-25/trump-immunity-supreme-court
Litman: Will Trump be tried for Jan. 6? After Supreme Court arguments, it's more uncertain than ever
The conservative justices seemed likely to confer broad presidential immunity from prosecution — and in a way that would further delay any federal trial.
Opinion: America's 'big glass' dominance hangs on the fate of two powerful new telescopes
Washington acknowledged the need for an 'all-sky' view of deep space but may stint on the funding. Does this make sense?
Opinion: Lots of people lie to their doctors. My father did — with tragic results
My dad had epilepsy. To keep from having his driver's license permanently revoked, he never told his doctor just how often he had seizures.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-25/epilepsy-seizures-driving-traffic-accidents
Letters to the Editor: The major difference between Donald Trump and King David
Comparing Trump to imperfect servants of God like King David misses a crucial point: Trump never admits his wrongdoing and apologizes.
Letters to the Editor: Speaker Mike Johnson is finally putting country before Trump
Passing Ukraine aid and making moves on border security are welcome changes from Speaker Mike Johnson.
Letters to the Editor: Montana coal funded my idyllic childhood. Now, I worry about how much harm it caused
A reader who grew up in Billings, Mt., recalls the lifestyle her family enjoyed thanks to coal-powered electricity generation.
Calmes: MAGA Mike sings a chorus of 'Kumbaya' with the Democrats, but for how long?
Suddenly, Democrats and (some) Republicans in the House have joined in unorthodox bipartisanship to get government functioning again.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-25/mike-johnson-ukraine-aid-republican-party
Letters to the Editor: L.A.'s late-stage capitalism homelessness fix — ask billionaires for money
Karen Bass deserves praise for her new homelessness program, but the wealthy Angelenos funding it might be part of the problem.
Editorial: Pregnant women are not incubators. Antiabortion states should not deny them emergency care
An Idaho law denying gravely ill pregnant women from having abortions necessary to protect their health is so odious even conservative Supreme Court justices seemed wary of them.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-24/supreme-court-idaho-women-emergency-care-abortion
Editorial: In eco-minded California, there's still no constitutional right to clean air and water
A proposal in the California Legislature would put a "green amendment" on the November ballot to add the rights to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment to the state constitution. The ...
Opinion: California law requires police to fix these bad policies. So why haven't they?
Law enforcement is supposed to use science-based procedures for witness identification and lineups. But many agencies continue practices that can lead to wrongful convictions.
Letters to the Editor: Columbine was 25 years ago. When will we finally amend the 2nd Amendment?
It's an abomination that this long after the Columbine massacre, gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children and teens.
Letters to the Editor: Get used to more DIY houses in L.A. built by homeless people
A colorful shelter next to the 110 Freeway in Highland Park brings to mind the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Expect more of this if we fail on homelessness.
Doris Kearns Goodwin and husband Dick Goodwin lived, observed, created and chronicled the 1960s
A mix of history, memoir and biography, this book reflects on how time, perspective and stories left unwritten can shape our view of the past.
Letters to the Editor: We don't need another O.J. circus. No cameras at Trump's trial is the right call
A former California court employee says keeping cameras out of Trump's New York trial is the right call.
Abcarian: Criminalizing homelessness is unconscionable, but is it unconstutitional?
Supreme Court justices dive into the question of when and if rousting homeless encampments amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.
Editorial: Don't believe the nonsense. The criminal justice system worked properly in Venice assaults
Reaction to two brutal assaults in Venice demonstrates how emotion and politics twist the truth in crime discussion. Los Angeles leaders must do better.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-23/editorial-venice-assault
Column: The Republican Party can still do what's rational and right. Here's the proof
In a significant blow to the Marjorie Taylor Greene fringe, Speaker Mike Johnson got aid to Ukraine and Israel through the House and might yet keep his job.
Letters to the Editor: I helped write UCLA's high school data science course. This is what our critics miss
High school students who take data science learn something they can use in their everyday lives. Can the same be said for algebra?
Granderson: Republicans aren't protecting elections. They don't want democracy
The latest efforts to exclude Black votes echo the earliest days of our republic.
Letters to the Editor: Asking the rich for donations won't solve L.A.'s housing crisis
L.A. needs significantly more market-rate and affordable housing. Having the rich help buy apartments for the homeless isn't an answer to the housing crisis.
Letters to the Editor: Should Kamala Harris step aside as Joe Biden's running mate?
One reader calls on Vice President Harris to step aside for the sake of the country. Another sees sexism and racism behind her poor polling numbers.
Editorial: The Supreme Court cannot allow homelessness to be a crime
Liberal and conservative justices seemed to grasp the cruelty and futility of fining or jailing people simply for sleeping outdoors when there aren't enough shelters.
Opinion: This Passover, have room in your hearts for Israelis and Palestinians
During this year's Seder, some may mourn only for Israeli lives lost or held hostage in the war in Gaza. But the Talmud insists on seeing all life as priceless.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-22/passover-seder-israel-gaza-palestine
Litman: How Trump's trial will go well beyond the charges to paint a damning portrait of him
New York's rules will allow prosecutors to present evidence of other bad acts in trying the former president on the Stormy Daniels hush money allegations.
A disorienting, masterful, shape-shifting novel about multiracial identity
Rachel Khong's irresistible puzzle of a second novel suggests it is a mistake to think we can force complex, nature-nurture identities in a chosen direction.
Editorial: Social media companies refuse to safeguard kids. It's up to lawmakers now
State and federal lawmakers are trying to create regulations to protect kids from potential harms from social media use. It's not easy to find balance.
Opinion: Pat Tillman was killed 20 years ago. Let's remember him and ponder the nation's lost opportunity
The Army's cover-up of friendly fire in Afghanistan that killed the former football player and natural leader remains a disgrace.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-22/pat-tillman-afghanistan-friendly-fire-football
Opinion: You don't need to own an iPhone for the government lawsuit against Apple to benefit you
The Justice Department is arguing that Apple has degraded the iPhone user experience and the products of competitors. A victory would give consumers more choice in our digital lives.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-22/apple-tech-government-lawsuit
Letters to the Editor: Charge an extra fee? Restaurants should have to tell customers before they enter
Requiring a notice of a 'security' fee on a menu isn't good enough. Force restaurants to tell customers before they even enter.
Letters to the Editor: The climate situation is bad but not hopeless. We must fight for change
Voting rights and anti-discrimination laws didn't just happen; voters fought for them. The same thing needs to happen with climate change.
Editorial: L.A. officials lied to justify seizing homeless people's belongings. That's despicable
In a court case, L.A. officials changed records to justify taking homeless people's belongings. That is a new low.
Letters to the Editor: Adding a flat fee to electric bills won't help Californians
If the state allows most utility customers to be charged $24.15 per month no matter their usage, what's the incentive to use less energy?
Opinion: The immigration system can bend toward justice. One Orange County man's case shows how
Because of Jose Franco Gonzalez's struggle, others with serious mental disabilities now have a right to legal representation in immigration proceedings.
Calmes: Hapless House Republicans weaponized impeachment. It backfired
The spectacular failures of House Republican attempts to humiliate Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas are a win for the Constitution.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-21/alejandro-mayorkas-congress-impeachment-senate-vote
Letters to the Editor: Of course the GOP opposes student debt relief. Educated voters aren't good for it
The millions of Americans being crushed by student loan debt represent a huge voting bloc that both parties should want to help.
Editorial: Mississippi has heroes who fought for democracy. Why is it marking Confederate Heritage Month?
Mississippi taints its history as the battleground for democracy by celebrating Confederate Heritage Month.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-21/editorial-celebrate-mississippis-heroes
Abcarian: Here's how antiabortion absolutists plan to drag California back to the 19th century
Zombie laws, in the hands of antiabortion zealots and the ultraconservative Supreme Court, are coming for more than abortion rights.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-21/abortion-comstock-act-arizona-dobbs-supreme-court
Letters to the Editor: Discouraged by Biden and Trump? Toughen up and vote
Voter apathy is dangerous. Participating in selecting this country's leaders, even if you don't like Biden and Trump, is crucial to maintaining democracy.
Commentary: Spring is a real thing in L.A., if you go to the mountains
Venture into the San Gabriel Mountains, and you'll see a real spring unfolding — snow melting, rivers and streams flowing, wildlife emerging — in sublime glory.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-20/los-angeles-spring-mountain-hiking
Letters to the Editor: Opposing views on USC's decision to cancel valedictorian's speech
USC has a right to control its events, some readers say. Others believe the decision to cancel Ansa Tabassum's speech is a betrayal of free speech.
Letters to the Editor: Why supporting Trump makes sense to evangelicals
A reader says the Bible is filled with examples of imperfect people fulfilling God's plan, and evangelicals (like others) are worried about the economy.
Granderson: Sports gambling is coming, and it'll be even worse than you think
Breezy marketing from DraftKings and similar companies is the modern equivalent of the Marlboro Man. But there's more corruption in betting than there was in tobacco.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-19/nba-draftkings-sports-gambling
Editorial: Google's hardball tactics against California news outlets show why it should be regulated
Google's decision to cut off California news websites from search results was a threat to drop a bill to make it pay for the news it uses. It didn't work.
Opinion: It's been 25 years since Columbine. This is what we're still getting wrong about school shootings
The anticipation of gun violence shapes many aspects of today's schools, including physical layouts and budgets, despite little evidence that these policies work.
Opinion: How California's 'math wars' are hurting Black and Latino students
Proponents say students are more motivated to study data science than algebra. But this approach fails to teach kids essential skills and risks limiting some populations to certain courses.
Letters to the Editor: Critics of U.S. aid to Israel want to stop Netanyahu's recklessness
U.S. aid allows Israel to make reckless military decisions without bearing the full cost or consequences of its actions.
Letters to the Editor: There's a court reporter shortage. Switch to recordings, says a lawyer
A retired lawyer says relying on human stenographers for court reporting has serious drawbacks that new technology could address.
In Jane Smiley's rock 'n' roll novel, does good sense make good fiction?
The L.A.-born Pulitzer Prize winner takes on fame and domestic life, with surprising results.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-19/jane-smiley-lucky-review
Letters to the Editor: Another gutless Republican refusal to honor the courageous Liz Cheney
Liz Cheney embodies everything about the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's award for political courage. One problem: She annoys Donald Trump.
Letters to the Editor: What Mayor Karen Bass can do right now about L.A. City Hall's corruption problem
To combat corruption in L.A. City Hall, Mayor Karen Bass should say she will refuse to endorse anyone under an ethics investigation.
Letters to the Editor: Canceled valedictorian speech is another self-inflicted black eye for USC
USC has left its valedictorian out in the cold, says one reader. Another believes the university failed to do its due diligence in the first place.
Editorial: Speaker Mike Johnson's Ukraine aid bill is better late than never
House Speaker Mike Johnson does the right thing allowing vote on separate Ukraine aid bill despite threats from hard-liners in his conference.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-18/mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-aid-plan
Opinion: Is Arizona's abortion ban a return to the 19th century? No, it's actually worse
William T. Howell, who copied the 1864 law from California, was a progressive by the standards of the state Supreme Court that resurrected his statute.
A mysterious photographer of the Civil War, under a new microscope
In the ambitious book 'Double Exposure,' the Old West photographer Timothy O'Sullivan becomes a little more famous but no less obscure.
Letters to the Editor: 'Meh'? Commenters should stop jumping to conclusions on Trump's New York trial
"Watching Trump finally being held accountable in court will be a spectacle Americans will surely find enlightening," a reader says.
Letters to the Editor: How Israel can upset Iran's theocrats without death and destruction
Israel can send a message to the Iranian people that would infuriate their theocratic leaders without causing death and destruction.
Op-Comic: The Mideast, an unsolved puzzle
For Iranian artist Nasrin Sheykhi, bombs, missiles and guns blot out any hope for a solution in the conflicted Middle East.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-18/op-comic-an-unsolved-puzzle
Calmes: The hush money trial has only just begun, but it's not a good look for Candidate Trump
The goings-on inside and outside Manhattan criminal court won't win the scowling, puffy-faced former president the voters he needs.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-17/donald-trump-manhattan-trial-criminal-defendant
Editorial: USC was wrong to silence its valedictorian
USC made the wrong decision. Would it silence a speaker who is a famous or wealthy donor? A well-known politician?
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-17/usc-valedictorian-commencement
Opinion: USC got it wrong in canceling valedictorian's speech. Here's what the school should do now
The university should let Asna Tabassum speak at its graduation ceremony. It shouldn't have caved to pressure from those upset by her support for Palestinians.
Opinion: After divorce, a miscarriage and career false starts, my L.A. life surprised me
A string of failures and heartbreaks gave way to the second chances I needed.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-17/failure-los-angeles-second-chances
Letters to the Editor: Latinos have Jewish allies in the fight for a Gaza cease-fire
Plenty of Jews support Palestinians, so it's wrong to say there's a schism between Latinos and Jews over Israel.
Letters to the Editor: Autopia is better for Knott's Ghost Town than Disney's Tomorrowland. Electrify now
Fossil-fueled cars were cutting edge in the 19th century. They don't belong in a place called Tomorrowland.
Letters to the Editor: The consequences of civil disobedience at Pomona College
'I am disturbed that neither protesting students nor some faculty understand elementary civil disobedience,' writes a Pomona College graduate.
Letters to the Editor: Why voters are right not to praise Biden's handling of the economy
'More than half of us make less than the average U.S. income, but all of us pay almost 20% more in prices and sales taxes than we did before Biden's presidency,' says a reader.
Los Angeles' mass uprisings in search of Black justice have punctuated my life, and my library
I've lived in L.A. during the Watts riots, the beating of Rodney King and the death of George Floyd. Books about these times, such as Gary Phillips' "Ash Dark as Night," help me understand them.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-17/opinion-los-angeles-watts-rodney-king-george-floyd
Editorial: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn't a climate emergency, what is?
The planet has recorded 10 straight months of record-high temperates. If world leaders need a jolt to get into crisis mode on climate change, this should be it.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-17/earth-10-hottest-months-on-record-climate-crisis
Abcarian: A disconcerting crime wave in L.A.'s Venice, caught on camera
Thanks to cameras, a Southern California restaurateur helped police identify the suspect in the brutal assault of two women near the Venice canals.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-16/california-venice-crime-cameras
Goldberg: For Israel and Ukraine alike, U.S. support is proving unreliable and inadequate
Biden urged Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from retaliation against Iran even though its attack appeared to defy the president's own warning after Oct. 7.
Letters to the Editor: Before 99 Cents Only, there was Bargain Circus on La Brea. Both will be missed
'I still miss Bargain Circus, but the 99 Cents Only stores now join it in equally fond memory,' says a reader about the closing discount retail chain.
Amy Tan journeys from novelist to naturalist without leaving her backyard
It's a pleasure to sit with Amy Tan as she sketches and watches her way to an obsession about the birds in her Marin County backyard.
Opinion: The decline in American life expectancy harms more than our health
This alarming trend, which began before COVID, fuels a deadly cycle of a sick workforce and weakened economy.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-16/united-states-economy-covid-public-health
Granderson: How can evangelicals like Mike Johnson tolerate Trump?
The former president has proved that he doesn't have to abide by any moral code to get ahead.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-16/speaker-mike-johnson-donald-trump-evangelicals
Letters to the Editor: The self-defeating logic of 'states' rights' abortion foes
Follow the logic of "states' rights" abortion opponents, and it leads to where we should be on reproductive rights: personal choice.
Letters to the Editor: Trump lies all the time. Biden has lied before. There's a difference
Trump weaponizes distorted facts and pure make-believe; nothing Biden has done comes close to that, and there's no comparing the two.
Letters to the Editor: Opposing views on what happened in the UC Berkeley law dean's backyard
The disruption in Erwin Chemerinsky's and Catherine Fisk's home was antisemitic, says one reader. Another says Fisk went too far in confronting a student.
Litman: Trump's antics didn't stop his New York hush money trial. Here's why he'll keep them up
The former president can be expected to stick to his political strategy despite its legal risks and Judge Juan M. Merchan's lack of patience for it.
Editorial: High electric bills threaten California's clean future. This plan would help
California's rising power rates are an obstacle to climate action. Regulators need to modernize the way utilities bill their customers to encourage electrification.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-15/la-electric-bills-fixed-charges-power-rates
Letters to the Editor: California doesn't know if $20 billion spent on homelessness has worked. Who gets fired?
California has spent $20 billion on homelessness in five years, and don't know if it's been effective. Do we even know who's responsible?
Opinion: Don't want Biden or Trump to have so much power? Maybe the U.S. needs a poly-presidency
Some of America's founders thought having only one president would make America too much like a monarchy. Perhaps they were right.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-15/trump-biden-rfk-jr-president-election-constitution
Letters to the Editor: The one consistent Republican Party value since 1980 -- make the rich richer
Advocacy for small government and law and order fall by the wayside when politically convenient, but tax cuts for the rich remain for the GOP.
Letters to the Editor: Trump's tough love for the working class -- really, really tough love
If billionaires support Trump because the former president loves the working class, he must show it with really, really tough love.
Letters to the Editor: Another heat record? Nature is telling humanity that time's up
Ten consecutive months of record global heat should clue humanity into the fact that its fossil fuel-burning ways can't continue.
A mother tries to exercise choice in the face of class struggles and incarceration
Leavitt's gift for complex yet self-aware protagonists makes us root for them, even if they're misguided.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-15/caroline-leavitt-days-of-wonder-fiction-novels
Editorial: Board of Supervisors' silent sign-off on $25-million payout fails accountability test
By approving a $25-million payout to a man shot and paralyzed by deputies with no discussion or call for change, the Board of Supervisors in effect said nothing went wrong in the incident.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-14/editorial-cervantes-shooting-25million
Opinion: Why it's hard to muster even a 'meh' over Trump's New York criminal trial
Trump may not be convicted of a felony in the New York 'election interference' case, and if he is, it probably won't shake up the presidential race.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-14/donald-trump-new-york-alvin-bragg-stormy-daniels
Calmes: Donald Trump inspires yet another profile in cowardice
One after another, American institutions have spinelessly bowed to Trump's power. The latest GOP invertebrates run a foundation meant to honor President Gerald R. Ford.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-14/donald-trump-liz-cheney-gerald-ford
Abcarian: Never forget — Nicole Brown Simpson's murder redefined our understanding of domestic violence
Her death proved that domestic violence can happen to anyone, and showed how little protection the police and society provided against O.J. Simpson's abuse.
Opinion: Can you beat this epic commute? Take the 10 to the 86 to the 111 to the 8 ...
'SNL' had it right. California's a big state and we think nothing of driving it — and obsessing over which routes to take — end to end.
L.A.'s right-left divide on solving homelessness
Is homelessness a law-and-order issue, or do we need to solve fundamental societal problems to fix it? Readers weigh in.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-04-14/letters-homelessness-right-left-debate