LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles saw spikes in select categories of crime in 2021, most notably a nearly 12 percent year-over-year climb in homicides. Mayor Eric Garcetti noted that the pace of homicides was stemmed in the second half of the year. “To put that in context, I remember the first half of this past year, when…

LOS ANGELES—The Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmed Jan. 12 the nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be U.S. ambassador to India, but the nomination next needs to be confirmed by a majority of the U.S. Senate. The mayor was nominated to be an ambassador by President Joe Biden, who announced the nomination on…

LOS ANGELES—Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is fully vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 3 while in Glasgow, Scotland, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. The mayor is attending the conference with about seven staff members, all of whom tested negative. “Mayor Garcetti tested positive for COVID-19 earlier on Wednesday. He is feeling good and isolating in his…

LOS ANGELES—Rep. Karen Bass (D-Long Beach) made it official Sept. 27, announcing her candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022. “Our city is facing a public health, safety and economic crisis in homelessness that has evolved into a humanitarian emergency,” Bass said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “I’ve spent my entire life bringing groups…

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A $15 minimum wage went into effect for small businesses in Los Angeles July 1after being gradually phased in for businesses since being approved in 2015. The law was approved on a 14-1 vote by the City Council on May 14, 2015, and the minimum wage increase from $9 to $15 took place…

LOS ANGELES—Mayor Eric Garcetti on June 2 signed the city’s $11.2 billion budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which allocates historic spending of nearly $1 billion to combat Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis. Garcetti proposed the largest spending plan in city history—which includes a $6.6 billion general fund revenue projection—and city council unanimously approved it May…

Commentary About a week ago, on April 21, the Los Angeles mayor released his $11.23 billion budget proposal for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The night before, Mayor Eric Garcetti gave his State of the City speech, offering some rationale for his budget. He called it “a financial document … but also a roadmap,” providing a…