Black Maternal Health Week, recognized since 2021, occurs from April 11 to April 17 and highlights the statistics that Black women are more than three times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes in the United States, regardless of their income or education. Research has also shown that Black babies are twice as likely to die before their first birthday as White babies.
In California, Black mothers make up just 5% of those who give birth, yet they account for 22% of pregnancy-related deaths.
April Valentine’s story is one of those that make up that statistic. In January 2023, April, a then-31-year-old healthy Black woman, went to an Inglewood hospital to give birth. When she was denied the presence of her doula (a person who is trained to provide emotional, physical, and educational support for an expecting mother), April was forced to endure multiple failed attempts to administer an epidural. During that time, her pain was ignored, and she died during childbirth as a result.
Following a public outcry, the hospital that April visited was issued a $75,000 fine, a rare occurrence but not enough to create actual change. That hospital would eventually shut down its maternity ward, which would leave the disproportionately Black and Latino communities with fewer options for safe and respectful care. This hospital was one of 56 California maternity clinics that closed since 2012, 13 of which were for-profit companies in LA County.
A Firm Rising to the Occasion
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) has since risen to the challenge of working closely with patients and closing the critical gaps in care and support that have affected the Black maternal health crisis. Their services are embedded in hospitals such as Olive View and LAC+USC through their Health Consumer Center and Medical Legal Partnerships.
The NLSLA’s attorneys in the Health Consumer Center work with patients and providers to eliminate legal and systemic barriers to maternal health. They have helped clients access out-of-network specialists for high-risk pregnancies and secured newborn insurance coverage when red tape threatens to affect care. Their advocacy for better provider communication, patient rights against medical debt, and civil rights agencies shows that, when systems fall short, they ensure pregnant patients are not navigating their journeys alone.
While preventable deaths continue, Medical now covers doula care, as well as postpartum mental health care for those who experience depression after pregnancy.
While the Black Maternal Health Crisis will not fix itself, urgent action from policymakers and healthcare providers, and communities must support the crisis and support the Black mothers who deserve more than awareness.
The Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County is committed to making the future of healthcare safer and more accessible for the Black community.
Founder of Motherland Sounds, Miriam Haregot, is ensuring that East African music and traditions have a place in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Haregot’s unique venture has quickly become an integral part of the city as a space that invites authenticity and community through sound.
Sharing East African Culture With the Community
Haregot is an entrepreneur hailing from Eritrea who founded Motherland Sounds with a team of five Ethiopians. She first opened the space to share the beauty of East African culture, but her simple idea quickly attracted attention on social media and by word of mouth. In a city that often focuses on West African narratives, Haregot’s approach is particularly impactful.
As Haregot told the Los Angeles Sentinel, “We’re East African, and from our point of view, we show the world what it’s like on the East side of Africa because there’s a lot of exposure on the West.”
Helping Others Value Authenticity
Events at Motherland Sounds are defined by an authentic East African experience, something that can’t be found anywhere else in the city. Haregot reflected on a recent event that she hosted at Issa Rae’s Lost in Downtown LA, which didn’t bring the experience her audience expected.
“When we couldn’t bring in our own East African-centered food, it kind of shifted the crowd,” Haregot said. “The location change made a difference. We’re coming back on March 26, and this time, we’re giving people the best of both worlds. We listened to their feedback, and I’m excited to show them what we’ve been working on.”
It would seem that Haregot’s presence in the community has drawn positive attention to East African culture, from food to music—something that guests now seek out. Her work is building upon the vibrant LA experience while sharing something new with the community.
A Passion for Community Service
Outside of her work at Motherland Sounds, Haregot holds a passion for community service. Her P.A.C.K Project (People Advocating Community Kinship) aims to address the unhoused population across LA by providing home-cooked meals through initiatives like Feed the Homies and offering shelter space.
“We’ve fed over 10,000 people,” Haregot said, “rotating chefs and cuisines every month. It gives people on the street something to look forward to. We’ve built a strong community of volunteers, chefs, and restaurants—mainly serving Skid Row and surrounding areas… My goal for 2025 is to create a self-sustaining shelter. I want to start with the children—teaching them life skills to help break the cycle.”
Supporting a Community Through Authenticity
Haregot’s ultimate mission is to support and build upon the LA community, introducing new cultural experiences while helping those around her. Each of her various initiatives is creating an authentic space that positively changes peoples’ attention toward cultures and societal issues, improving lives and inviting a diverse experience.
A Mission of Resilient Growth
Moving forward, Haregot only plans to continue in this mission of community growth and improvement. Her ideas become powerful forces in the city of LA, expressed through resilient and passionate dedication. Nothing is holding her back from selflessly creating change in the world around her.
California has long been a place of reinvention, where people escape convention to build new lives. The Golden State’s counterculture movements, from the Beats to the hippies, have defined eras and shaped art, music, and lifestyle trends. But the origins of these movements stretch back further than most realize.
Author Charlie Haas, in his novel The Current Fantasy, explores an often-overlooked influence on California’s free-spirited identity: the Naturmenschen. They were a German back-to-nature movement that thrived in the early 20th century. Their philosophy combined expressionist art, anarchism, spiritualism, and sun worship. The group attracted figures such as Herman Hesse, Franz Kafka, Isadora Duncan, and D.H. Lawrence into their orbit.
Haas, who moved to California in 1968 as a teenager, saw firsthand how a distinct cultural attitude shaped the state. “It was curious, sometimes credulous, nostalgic for eras of magic but equally dazzled by science,” he recalls. That sense of wonder led Haas to uncover a deeper history, one that connected past utopian ideals with modern countercultural movements.
A Discovery in the Stacks
While browsing in a bookstore several years later, he stumbled upon Gordon Kennedy’s Children of the Sun: A Pictorial Anthology from Germany to California 1883 to 1949. The book contained striking photographs: men and women dressed in flowing garments, dancing in circles, working the land, or simply basking in the sun. Taken decades before the hippie movement, these images felt like a glimpse into an earlier version of California’s bohemian culture.
Intrigued, Haas dove deeper into the subject. He read Mountain of Truth by Martin Burgess Green and researched at the UC Berkeley library. He traced the Naturmenschen’s journey from Germany to California in the 1910s, where they influenced a new wave of spiritual seekers and artists.
Los Angeles saw its first raw-food restaurants and Ojai became a haven for rival spiritualist communities. Most notably, the canyons around Palm Springs filled with people content to live off the land, exercise with heavy stones, and dress in nothing but loincloths.
From History to Fiction
As Haas pieced together this forgotten chapter of history, he saw the potential for a novel. Characters began to form in his head—a Berlin family in 1914, drawn into the Naturmenschen’s ideals and willing to establish a utopian community called Sunland in San Bernardino County.
Though fictional, Sunland borrows heavily from real history. Haas discovered a common downfall of utopian movements: the bicycle. Many communities thrived in isolation until their as-of-then-unaware children got hold of bikes, rode to the nearest city, and returned home disillusioned. “The kids in my story get a bicycle,” Haas confirms, acknowledging the pattern of youthful curiosity disrupting idealism.
To bring his novel to life, Haas fully immersed himself in the physical world of his characters. He walked from San Bernardino to Redlands on an 80-degree day, experiencing the grueling heat and exhaustion the early settlers endured. Through this first-hand experience, Haas deepened his understanding of their struggles—both physical and philosophical.
Echoes of the Past in Modern Counterculture
The Current Fantasy bridges multiple eras, foreshadowing the Beat movement, the 1960s counterculture, and even present-day festivals like Burning Man. Haas sees a clear connection between early 20th-century expressionist art and the modern fusion of music, poetry, and visual storytelling. “So many elements of those times were already there in the 1910s,” he notes.
Despite two world wars and waves of societal upheaval, the desire to escape modern constraints and forge a simpler, more connected life persists. The Naturmenschen’s ideals continue to reappear. They slip into different generations, consistently adapting to new contexts.
“The dream of influencing the world by dropping out of it must have seemed painfully naïve after two world wars,” Haas reflects. “But that vision keeps coming back, in slightly different clothes, adapting and refining itself, slipping in where it can.”
For those who look closely, traces of the Naturmenschen remain embedded in California’s cultural fabric. Their footprints may be faint, but they’re unmistakable.
While it probably won’t snow in Los Angeles, there are plenty of Christmas events and other holiday activities to enjoy. From Christmas light displays to parades, theme parks to movies, Los Angeles isn’t lacking in holiday spirit. The following is a list of the best events you can participate in this season.
The LA Zoo Lights
The Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park is inviting visitors to take part in an immersive landscape of lights and lantern sculptures this Christmas season. The zoo has a long tradition of lights on the holidays, but the “Animals Aglow” event is entirely new. The seasonal celebration features larger-than-life lantern animal sculptures along a colorful trail of lights. The event lasts until January 5, 2025, but be sure to visit the zoo’s website for details and to buy tickets.
“A Christmas Carol”
Has showings until December 23 at A Noise Within’s classic theater in Pasadena, so you don’t want to miss out on this classic. “A Christmas Carol” is Charles Dickens’ tale of becoming a better person through holiday spirit, directed in this case by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. The play stars Elliott and other resident artists of the theater company, all of whom are among Los Angeles’ best classical actors. Visit the theater’s website for more information and tickets.
Christmas at Santa’s Village
Lasting until January 5, 2025, Lake Arrowhead’s Santa’s Village is one place where you might find snow. The village features light displays, a train ride, and a nighttime walk through the forest. There’s ice skating, snacks, and plenty of things to do. You can even enjoy breakfast with Santa or tea with Mrs. Claus with a separate ticket. Visit the village’s website for details and ticket information.
The Marina Del Rey Boat Parade
Whether you gather at Fisherman’s Village or Burton Chace Park, the view of the Marina Del Rey Boat Parade is undoubtedly a unique experience. Boats compete to win in categories including Best Theme, Best Animation, Best Lights, and more. Seventy boats will pass you in the marina, boasting holiday lights and other decorations. The event takes place on December 14, beginning at 5:55 pm with a fireworks show, and the boat parade starts at 6 pm.
Yuletide Cinemaland
Until December 23, Street Food Cinema is hosting a series of outdoor activities. With a cup of hot chocolate, you can enjoy a stroll through a light tunnel, take part in a piano sing-along, or even go on a Victorian home tour before stopping to watch an outdoor holiday screening. With classic films like Elf, Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and more, Yuletide Cinemaland is full of holiday cheer. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit Street Food Cinema’s website.
“The Nutcracker”
The Los Angeles Ballet is performing “The Nutcracker” with a distinct SoCal twist in Westwood, Pasadena, and Hollywood theaters until December 28 this holiday season. The ballet is a classic show filled with excitement and dance for the whole family. The show will have ten performances in Hollywood, with an orchestra accompanying it. Visit the Los Angeles Ballet website for more information.
The Los Angeles Christmas Market
Situated in the Downtown Arts District at ROW DTLA, the Los Angeles Christmas Market aims to bring you the experience of a European Christmas market. The event features festive food and drink, ranging from schnitzel to eggnog, and plenty of opportunities for Christmas shopping, photos, and holiday activities. Visit the Eventbrite page for more information on tickets.
Christmas in LA
All in all, Los Angeles looks like a festive place during Christmas. From classic shows to modern takes on the holidays, there is plenty to do in the city.
With a career that spans over 50 years, Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas recently discussed his thoughts about changes in the movie business and being called a “nepo baby” during an informal conversation at the Red Sea Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Throughout his acting career, Douglas has seen how the rise of digital technology and streaming platforms are impacting Hollywood.
“The biggest change in my lifetime and career has been digital,” especially in sound production, Douglas said during an informal conversation last Friday. In the 1970s, filmmakers had more control over the production process, while studios focused more on the distribution business.
“It’s gone the other way in terms of both studios or, in this case, streaming services, and now this latest chapter is the advent of Silicon Valley dumbing down and just taking over what we thought was this big industry,” Douglas stated.
“Between Apple, Amazon, and Netflix, the designs of their companies are so huge, and they can afford so much,” he added.
Response to Being Called a “Nepo Baby”
A large part of the wide-ranging conversation focused on Douglas’s early acting achievements, with the actor recalling how challenging it was to make it in Hollywood in the shadow of his father, legendary actor Kirk Douglas.
Douglas doesn’t take kindly to being referred to as a “nepo baby,” which is short for nepotism baby and is a term used for individuals whose parents have succeeded in the same or similar careers. As criticism rises for actors, musicians, and other celebrities whose fame and fortune come behind that of their families, implications that these individuals receive a leg up from their families in competitive industries have circled around.
Douglas shared his thoughts on being called a “nepo baby,” stating, “I don’t know a father in whatever business, be it a plumber or a contractor or a carpenter, who doesn’t try to help his son join him … I’m a nepo baby too, you know? So that’s the way it goes,” he added.
While Kirk expressed early his reluctance at Douglas following him into acting, Douglas remembered convincing Kirk to let him executive produce Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film went on to become a best-picture Oscar winner and raked in a fair few dollars for Kirk.
When Douglas entered the acting scene again, he established himself as an entertainment star with roles in hit movies like Fatal Attraction and Wall Street. He later added to his portfolio the lead role in the 1992 drama Basic Instinct.
Douglas shared that making it as an actor required him to overcome his early anxieties about stage fright. He said, “There’s a risk factor that also gives you the nerves when you’re starting a project. But then the nerves are just part of your career, part of your work.”
Adapting to Change
In August 2010, Douglas disclosed that he had developed a throat tumor, which required medical treatment. The actor has now recovered, sharing, “Now, I’m having a very nice time enjoying my life. I’m not retiring.” His more recent roles include Netflix’s The Kominsky Method and the Benjamin Franklin TV miniseries. Douglas also entered the Marvel Universe with his roles in Ant-Man and The Wasp, which got him into green screen acting—a first for the actor.
But Douglas is still on the lookout for new films that venture outside his comfort zone. “I still have to find a horror movie,” he added.
Douglas’s wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, was also at the Saudi Arabia festival, where she had a similar wide-ranging informal conversation. The actress reflected on her recognition for Chicago, her theater background, and the next foray into the indie film world.
“I want to turn up. I want to do some interesting work,” she said of her next project. “It goes back to my theater thinking because I don’t feel I have to prove anything to anybody. I don’t have to work hard for other people,” Zeta-Jones said.
The Red Sea Film Festival continues through Dec. 14.
On November 18th, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed plans to declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants throughout the United States.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna has responded that his department does not plan to enforce civil immigration, as this does not fall under the department’s duties. However, not all sheriffs in southern California have shared this sentiment.
As reported by ABC News, Trump confirmed his plans when he responded to a social media post from Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton on November 18th. Fitton had posted statements earlier in November that reports demonstrate that the incoming administration is preparing to utilize “military assets” to deport migrants.
Trump responded to Fitton’s statements with the declaration, “TRUE!!!” He has previously pledged to begin mass deportations as soon as he enters office.
“On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out,” Trump was reported saying during a rally at Madison Square Garden near the close of the presidential race.
LA Sheriff’s Department Will Not Change Procedures, Per Sheriff Luna
With fears of mass deportations growing among LA residents, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna has spoken out on his department’s role during these shifts in federal immigration policies. As reported by MSN, Luna states that the department “isn’t changing much” from its current operational procedures.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department does not enforce civil immigration enforcement …,” Luna stated. “So we’ll continue to do what we do.”
Sheriff Luna continued to elaborate on his fears that immigration crackdowns from local police enforcement could erode public trust.
“There’s a lot of rhetoric, and I don’t want people to be afraid to call the sheriff’s department when they need something,” he asserted. “If they’re a witness to crime, if they’re a victim to a crime, they need to call us.”
However, Luna admitted that the sheriff’s department would continue cooperating with federal agencies upon request.
“Now if somebody at the federal government, one of the agencies, is asking for help, we will assist if they need help,” he stated. “We will do that for any law enforcement agency but it does get very technical in regards to when we do or do not help, but what our community needs to know is don’t be afraid to call the sheriff’s department.”
L Police Department to Not Engage in Immigration Enforcement
Like Chief Luna’s policies, the newly appointed Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell stated at his swearing-in ceremony that his department does not intend to engage in immigration enforcement.
“We’re not in that business,” McDonnell said, according to the article by MSN. Regarding possible crackdowns by local police, he asserted, “We will not be doing any of the things that people are worried about recently.”
Riverside County Sheriff to Welcome New Immigration Enforcement
While Sheriff Luna is working to temper fears of police immigration crackdowns in LA County, other southern California sheriffs have expressed enthusiasm for the coming changes in Federal immigration policies.
According to Fox 11, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco has stated he would welcome the federal government into Riverside County to assist mass deportation efforts undertaken by the Trump administration.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure I keep the residents of Riverside County safe,” stated Sheriff Chad Bianco. “If that involves working somehow around SB 54 with ICE so we can deport these people victimizing us and our residents, you can be 100 percent sure I’m going to do that.”
As the incoming Trump administration continues preparations for aggressive immigration reform, the role of local police enforcement across areas of California with large migrant populations remains to be seen.
Lowrider cars were once stigmatized as being associated with gang activity and were targeted by law enforcement, but they have now evolved into an enduring symbol of Chicano pride. The smooth, romantic sounds of lowrider soul music continue to celebrate the rich heritage as it gains global recognition.
The Origins of Lowriders
A lowrider car has a lowered suspension, a custom paint job, and hydraulics. The vehicles are low to the ground and can bounce up and down. They emerged in Los Angeles’ Mexican-American communities after World War II.
They were initially seen as creative expressions of identity and soon became showcases of technical car expertise and Chicano pride.
Lowrider Soul
Although lowriders are often associated with hip-hop from the 90s, their traditional music roots are smooth, emotional R&B ballads from the 50s and 60s that feature romantic lyrics. In contrast to the typically gang-affiliated drivers, the romantic songs reflect the depth of the pain many Chicanos endured at the time.
Lowrider’s soul was a spark of inspiration for many Chicano youth. They found hope in the genre’s introspective themes. Those themes of love and family were a stark contrast to the harsh reality of many lowrider’s lives, which often faced poverty, discrimination, and broken families.
A notable Chicano poet, Luis J Rodriguez, says, “Well, these lowrider guys were tough dudes, many street-and-prison hardened, but they were also notoriously ‘romantic.’”
“I think many of us hung on to the illusions of family and home because we didn’t have good families or homes. Those old R&B songs spoke to our depths,” he said.
Cultural Recognition
Now, lowriders are seen as cultural centerpieces of LA. Their physical beauty and historical meaning are being celebrated in museums, such as Best in Low at LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum. The museums display the beauty and culture while educating audiences about lowrider history.
Newer bands like Thee Sacred Souls are bringing attention to the music of this subculture. They are helping to preserve and revive the legacy of the lowrider soul for a new generation of listeners.
Lowrider Soul’s Musical Heritage
Soul music, which was originally rooted in Black culture, found another home with Chicano audiences in the 50s and 60s in Los Angeles. The racial segregation during this time created a unity between Black musicians and Chicano listeners, who became supporters of Black soul music.
Notorious Chicano bands like Thee Midniters and Sunny & the Sunliners fused R&B with their own styles, creating the “Eastside sound” that became synonymous with lowrider culture.
Lowrider Music Revival
Thee Sacred Souls and Thee Sinseers, modern bands, are bringing life back to lowrider soul by creating original tracks that stay true to the sound of the era. These groups pay homage to influential bands like Thee Midniters, whose music remains a foundation of lowrider soul.
With the globalization of music, lowrider culture has reached beyond its Los Angeles origins. The music and automotives have reached Japan, the UK, and beyond. Japanese lowrider enthusiasts have embraced the aesthetic, crediting Chicanos for their influence.
Cultural Legacy
Lowrider cars and lowrider soul represent a unique cultural combination of art, music, and identity. They are essential to Los Angeles’ rich history and culture. As lowrider culture continues to garner attention, it demonstrates the resilience of the Chicano community.
Modern lowrider music and events promote family and tradition, separating the cultural icon from stereotypes of gang affiliation. These gatherings are intergenerational celebrations of Chicano heritage. Older lowriders come to pass down music and craftsmanship to younger generations.
Experience a history walkthrough with exhibits like Best in Low, a place for automotive lovers to engage with the culture.
The timeless sounds of lowrider soul continue with Got a Story to Tell, the latest album by Thee Sacred Souls, on Daptone Records. The band will play at London’s Jazz Cafe on October 31.
LA’s small indie music venues are proud to provide the people of LA with independent artists who are yet to be discovered. They often support underground and niche genres people haven’t heard of before.
These small venues are essential places for up-and-coming bands to play for an audience. Without such locations, these bands often wouldn’t get discovered otherwise. Many of these independently-owned music venues are struggling to stay afloat against competition from corporate-owned venues.
The Mission of Independent Venues
The owner of Zebulon, Jef Soubiran, says his place “gives access to some people who never listen [to] some free jazz or some avant-garde or some experimental, some minimal, some punk rock,” he said. They can experience a kind of music they wouldn’t have heard anywhere else.
These small spaces give a stage to bands that are lesser-known, experimental, or that don’t conform to the norms of music. Non-mainstream musicians need a place to be staged, too, and indie venues are the place for them to get their foot in the industry’s door.
Challenges Faced By Indie Venues
As inflation rises and rent prices go up, independently owned venues are struggling to stay open. They are also in competition with major music conglomerates that own venues in the area. AEG runs El Rey, the Shrine, and The Roxy. Live Nation runs The Echo, the Hollywood Palladium, and The Wiltern.
It’s not easy to stay open when these larger venues have a significant source of income for marketing and constant traffic to even their smaller music hubs.
Financial Strategies Indie Venues Are Adopting
Independently-run music venues are taking up two major financial strategies to stay open. The first is a focus on ticket sales. The Lodge Room in Highland Park heavily relies on entry tickets at the door. “We’re not making that much money at the bar,” says the owner, Dalton Gerlach. “We have to survive on ticket sales, so it’s really just a volume thing for us,” he says. In the case of the Lodge Room, the number of people they can get to attend is more important than anything else.
The other strategy is a focus on bar sales, as seen by Gold Diggers in East Hollywood. “The door is a break-even for us. We’re making money off the bar. We want to sell drinks, and that’s what it comes down to,” says the owner, Dave Neupert. However, even with bar sales, the venues are struggling as younger generations are buying fewer drinks.
Hybrid and Nonprofit Venues
On the other hand, Permanent Records, an independent venue and record store combined, gives all of the ticket sales to the artist. The owner, Lance Barresi, says, “We only take revenue from our shows from the sales we do at the bar and whatever sales we do in the record store. Generally speaking, 60% of our revenue comes from bar sales, 40% from record sales.”
Places like Flow Sanctuary, which operate without a bar or any alcohol, rely solely on donations to stay afloat. “We’re hoping we can do fundraisers and other things that other nonprofits do,” says the owner, “Magick” Mike Milane.
Rewards Beyond Financial Gains
Although money is vital for staying open, the owners of indie venues find it inherently rewarding to run a place where new artists can get discovered. Jef Soubiran of Zebulon is exposing people to music they’ve never heard before and finds that very rewarding. “You need to have the love of what you do,” he adds.
Gerlach from the Lodge Room says, “The financial reward of it is not really quite there,” but instead, “the social and relational reward of it is there. . . Just being at shows and the community, and there’s so many intangible things around what I get to do that [are] really special.”
Losing indie venues in LA would be losing a piece of the heart of music. Without experimenters and avant-garde artists, LA music risks becoming too homogenous and lackluster. “It’s nice to have [a] different flavor,” says Soubiran.
Preserving these diverse scenes is what maintains LA’s vibrant and eclectic music culture.
Near the close of their speeches at the Democratic National Convention, both Michelle and Barack Obama exhorted their listeners to actively support the Harris campaign, to “work like our lives depend on it.” Former President Obama declared, “If we each do our part over the next 77 days, if we knock on doors, if we make phone calls, if we talk to our friends, if we listen to our neighbors . . . we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.” “Do something,” asked the former First Lady, “you know what you need to do.”
But there was and is a problem with the Obamas’ urgent call to action: the roughly 80 percent of the population who do not live in “swing states” lack a clear notion of what they “need to do” to actively support their candidates. In those “sure states” (as they once were labeled), there is little to be gained, for either Democrats or Republicans, in knocking on doors, conversing with neighbors, calling people in nearby towns and cities, or putting up yard signs. The few steps that non-swing state citizens can take – writing checks or joining a phone bank to cold call swing state voters – offer little of the satisfaction or sense of solidarity that can come from in-person participation in a political cause.
The reason for this, of course, is our deeply flawed electoral system, in particular the practice in 48 states of awarding all of a state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins that state’s popular vote. That practice sequesters most of us, deterring us from becoming fully active, from learning by engaging our fellow citizens and participating in the processes of democracy. Both political parties insist that this is the most important election of our lifetimes, but most Americans are mere spectators, sitting in front of screens watching the campaign unfold in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, or Arizona.
“Winner take all” (WTA) also makes it more likely that the candidate who loses the popular vote can still win the electoral vote and become President – an outcome that violates basic democratic principles. Moreover, the system depresses voter turnout and leads to the quadrennial emphasis on issues that matter most to swing states – not to mention the extra monies that tend to flow to swing states between elections.
Why do we have this system? It’s not mandated by the Constitution. The framers left it to the states to decide how to allocate electoral votes, although most of them appear to have expected the states to adopt district-based systems. For the first decade or so, many states did allocate electoral votes by district (often congressional districts), while others deployed WTA (then called the “general ticket”) or allowed their legislatures to choose electors without even holding a popular election. WTA then took root in more states for largely partisan reasons: political majorities in individual states wanted to guarantee that their candidate would win all of the state’s electoral votes. Virginia famously took this step in the hotly contested election of 1800 to prevent John Adams from winning even a few electoral votes. The shift was so unprincipled that Virginian John Marshall, on the brink of becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, declared that he would never vote for President again while WTA remained in place.
Indeed, WTA was widely disparaged throughout the early decades of our history. Four times between 1813 and 1826, the Senate approved constitutional amendments to require district elections; on one occasion the House fell only a few votes short of the required two-thirds vote that would have sent the amendment to the states to be ratified. Some of the Constitution’s framers themselves, including James Madison, favored prohibition of WTA. North Carolina Representative James Strudwick Smith argued that a district system would “give the minority as well as the majority of the people of every state a chance of being heard. . . . You will bring the election near to the people and consequently you will make them place more value on the elective franchise.”
Efforts to eliminate WTA have recurred for the last two centuries. Michigan adopted a district system in the 1890s, as Maine and Nebraska have done more recently; Republicans and Democrats in numerous states have seriously considered taking that bold step in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Meanwhile, Congress periodically debated amending the Constitution to require the allocation of electoral votes either by districts or through a proportional system in which a candidate’s electoral vote would match their percentage of the popular vote. In 1950, the Senate approved an amendment calling for a proportional system; in 1969, the House passed an amendment that would have replaced the Electoral College with a national popular vote – which also, of course, would have eliminated WTA.
The historical record thus makes clear that widespread dissatisfaction with WTA is not a modern phenomenon: it is as venerable as the Constitution itself. Reform efforts nonetheless have met with limited success, thanks to the primacy of ever-shifting partisan interests that overrode democratic values or beliefs about how a presidential election should work. It is difficult to conjure up a principled rationale for an electoral system that not only discards the votes of political minorities but effectively adds them to the winner’s total.
Elizabeth Cavanagh is the CEO/Chair of the Making Every Vote Count Foundation (MEVC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the proposition that all votes cast for President in every state should count equally
Can anything be done? Individual states could join Nebraska and Maine in adopting systems that better suit the political diversity of their populations. But history suggests that such a strategy will not get very far. Parties with reliable majorities in each state have had little interest in diminishing the electoral payoff that comes with winning the state; and politicians of both parties have been reluctant to reduce their states’ Electoral College influence by acting as first movers, however principled such a decision might be. California will not abandon WTA while Texas retains it. And ongoing efforts to adopt the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would require participating states to award all of their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, face difficult hurdles.
The more plausible, and durable, strategy would be a constitutional amendment requiring states to allocate their electoral votes utilizing some type of proportional scheme. Alternatively, a constitutional amendment providing for a national popular vote would achieve the same result. (Despite their success in Maine and Nebraska, district systems will remain problematic as long as partisan gerrymandering is widespread and legal.) Constitutional reform that modifies or replaces the Electoral College would also provide an opportunity to rid ourselves of the deeply undemocratic – and hazardous – “contingent” election system. Currently, if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives selects the President, with each state’s delegation (no matter how large or small) casting one vote. Although not utilized since 1824, the contingent system – which has the rare distinction of having been denounced by both Thomas Jefferson and Mitch McConnell – is a ticking bomb, set to explode during a close election.
The task of Electoral College reform is daunting. Since the 1970s, the mere mention of reform has often elicited responses of weary pessimism even among those who favor the idea. Our Constitution is notoriously difficult to amend, and Republicans reflexively oppose reform because they currently believe that the Electoral College works in their favor. The polarization and inflammatory rhetoric of contemporary politics make cooperation, and even discussion, difficult.
But that does not mean we should continue to accept an undemocratic system that was created more than 200 years ago, itself a product of partisanship and gamesmanship. Since the 1940s (when the first reliable polls were taken), a majority of the American people has favored Electoral College reform or abolition; we have come close to altering the system on multiple occasions; and partisan perceptions of advantage have commonly shifted over time. Change will be hard but not impossible.
Alex Keyssar is the Matthew W. Stirling, Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the author of Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? (2020) and has collaborated with MEVC on its educational mission
No reform will happen between now and November; voters will focus on more immediate issues through Election Day and likely into January. But no matter the outcome of this year’s election, the challenges facing American democracy will persist, and among them is the task of doing something about a presidential election system that dampens engagement and turnout, deforms the conduct of campaigns, and fails to match democratic values. Surely we can do better – and have a national conversation about how to do so. Just imagine how very different the current campaign would look if every vote, in every state, really did count.
Written in partnership with Alex Keyssar and Elizabeth Cavanagh.
The gender divide in STEM fields remains a significant challenge, despite increased awareness and efforts to encourage female participation. Women are underrepresented in many STEM disciplines, often due to a combination of societal stereotypes, lack of role models, and confidence gaps. Despite surpassing men in overall graduation rates, women comprise only 29.2% of those in STEM fields.
Studies have shown that the issue is confidence, not capability. From an early age, girls may feel discouraged from pursuing STEM subjects or feel less competent in classroom settings than their male counterparts, leading to a decrease in interest and engagement over time. In K-12, girls rated their confidence in their math skills 27% lower than identically skilled boys. In higher education, women who initially entered college in a STEM discipline cited lack of confidence in their math abilities as a main reason for changing majors.
This disparity is concerning for two reasons: It not only limits individual potential, but also deprives the STEM fields of diverse perspectives and talents that are crucial for innovation and growth.
Learning platforms with supplemental instructional materials play a crucial role in bridging this gender gap by providing female students with a supportive and pressure-free environment to practice math concepts at their own pace.
Photo of a male and female student holding books in front of a blackboard
One such platform is Sofia, an unlimited math practice platform developed by Link-Systems International (LSI), which uses algorithms to generate new problems of consistent difficulty. This algorithmically generated content ensures continuous and tailored practice that students can access from the comfort of their own device. The platform’s step-by-step hints and just-in-time tools help students when they encounter difficulties, fostering a sense of achievement and building confidence.
By enabling female students to work through challenges independently and gain mastery over math concepts, without the immediate pressure of traditional classroom settings, platforms like Sofia help cultivate their interest and competence in STEM subjects.
“In the edtech industry, we should be doing more to ensure that all types of students have access to the tools they need to succeed,” commented Vincent Forese, President of LSI. “We are making math practice easier and more accessible to students who may otherwise just have given up.”
Photo of Vincent Forese, President of LSI
Addressing the gender gap in STEM is crucial for fostering innovation and growth within these fields. Diverse perspectives are essential for creative solutions, and supporting female students in STEM education is an important step toward achieving this. As educational platforms and institutions continue to recognize and address these disparities, the future of STEM looks more inclusive than ever.
With the release of his exclusive mix for the signature In Search of Sunrise (Black Hole Recordings) compilation series, Markus Schulz has Los Angeles on his mind. The City of Angels has always held a dear place in the global trance/progressive music DJ/producer’s heart. The new In Search of Sunrise 20 (ISoS20) release commemorates the 20th edition and 25 years of the series, a must-have mix compilation for every self-respecting electronic dance music (EDM) lover. Though he spends every weekend touring the world and DJing in venues intimate, huge and festival mega-sized, he somehow always manages to come back around to Los Angeles. Considering he spends more time on First Class flights than most flight attendants, we wondered what it was about L.A., exactly, that keeps drawing this globetrotter back time and again. On the eve of Markus Schulz’s return to The Golden Stage to play Dreamstate on November 22nd, 2024, L.A. Examiner sat down with the man himself to discover what makes him tick.
L.A. Examiner: You’re somewhat of a DJ legend around L.A., a metropolis that’s very fickle when it comes to nightlife. What is it about your relationship with Los Angeles that’s proved so resilient over the years?
Markus Schulz: The Los Angeles chapter of my career has to be among the most important. When I started touring, I was quite intimidated by playing in Los Angeles and wasn’t sure if I belonged in the same sentence as the greats of our scene. I was really lucky that there was a small but very passionate selection of fans who embraced my sound early on, and it was through their enthusiasm and word-of-mouth that the number of people coming to see me would grow quite quickly. I’ve never forgotten those people. What makes it special is that they are still coming to the shows to this day.
L.A. Examiner: Take us to the beginnings of your involvement with Avalon Hollywood. When you first started performing there, did you envision your events would become the beasts they’ve become?
Markus Schulz: It would have been around the late 2000s. I didn’t really have a regular home in the clubs there. Most of my appearances in Southern California were at the big arena or outdoor events such as Monster Massive and Together As One. But when I was booked to play at Avalon, knowing that there was an after hours culture and the club would stay open beyond 2am, it really fed into my soul as a DJ.
L.A. Examiner: So, in a way, the city’s culture inspired you artistically, which in turn allowed you to grow your foothold in Los Angeles?
Markus Schulz: I used to have a mix compilation series themed around certain cities around the world which held special resonance, and the 2012 edition was dedicated to Los Angeles. For the release party, we took over Avalon for two consecutive nights on Presidents’ Day weekend. The first night was my first open to close solo set experience at the venue, and on the second I was joined for back to back sessions with a selection of DJs from the Coldharbour Recordings family. That sowed the seeds for everything that has happened at Avalon since.
L.A. Examiner: You are one of the rare DJs on earth who regularly play “marathon” DJ sets exceeding eight, nine, 10 hours, often more. In and around L.A., your New Year’s Eve shows at Avalon Hollywood (open-to-close, naturally) came to be known in some circles as almost a rite-of-passage for ringing-in the New Year. Can you share with us some of your all-time highlights and memories?
Markus Schulz: It’s an incredible privilege to have been able to play open to close sets at a historic venue like Avalon on so many occasions, especially on New Year’s Eve. I haven’t kept count, but it must be getting close to 10 times, soon. The great thing about them is because Los Angeles is a destination city, people from all over the United States and even internationally plan trips around the shows; so it feels like there’s a worldwide family housed within those famous walls.
The most memorable moment I ever had was when I proposed to [my wife] Adina [Butar] onstage on New Year’s Eve. I was so nervous about it and had practiced the sequence with my visuals guy to make sure everything was right. Adina had been onstage performing and thought she was about to start singing another song, when the audio changed to “Destiny,” one of my biggest tracks and a personal one because I wrote it about her. I get emotional thinking about it because Adina’s parents were there, and mine were there, too. My mother, Rose, passed away in February 2019, only a few months before the wedding; but I look back and I was so grateful she got to experience such a personal moment.
L.A. Examiner: Where else can dance music-lovers find you playing in the L.A. metro area?
Markus Schulz: I’m delighted to be playing Dreamstate Southern California on November 22nd. I’ve played Insomniac’s events all over the world – from Poland to Mexico and in the U.S. in San Francisco and Chicago – so, to finally play at the one where the Dreamstate experience began will be pretty cool.
A new policy aimed at outlawing deputy gangs inside the department has been revealed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Agency (LASD). County authorities have been concerned about this long-standing issue for many years.
The “Prohibition – Law Enforcement Gangs and Hate Groups” policy, which was presented on Wednesday, forbids deputies from becoming involved in law enforcement gangs or from pushing others to join them. It is said that this issue has been plaguing the department for more than 50 years.
Deputy Gangs Over the Years
County officials have identified 19 deputy gangs over the years, indicating that these gangs have a long history within the agency, according to investigations into their existence. Since the early 1990s, these gangs have been connected to at least 59 court cases that have resulted in settlement payments totaling more than $54 million for occurrences involving these purported criminal groups inside the LASD.
According to the new policy, the agency will investigate claims that these groups exist and specify how to call for possible prosecution. Targeting a systematic problem that has undermined public trust for decades is a significant step forward for the LASD. The state of California already had laws against law enforcement gangs in 2021 (Penal Code 13670), and in 2023, it approved additional charges outlawing the formation of hate groups inside law enforcement organizations.
The department has been under fire for the acts of these gangs and the alleged culture of secrecy that has surrounded their operations; thus, the regulation comes at a crucial time. Although others, including Inspector General Max Huntsman, think this is a positive move, there are worries that it could fall short of the requirements set by monitoring organizations.
“For the first time in the history of our department, when you go through a process for captain and above, you are asked about tattoos,” LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said, referencing tattoos that have been connected to violent deputy gangs. County investigators have long cited tattoos as one way to identify deputies involved in these groups, with tattoos linked to the Banditos and Executioners gangs gaining particular notoriety.
An On-Going Problem
Deputy gangs were compared to a “cancer” in the department in a damning 70-page study published last year by the Civilian Oversight Commission, which is made up of lawyers, retired federal judges, and leaders of the community. The study chronicled the origins of these gangs to at least 1973, listing the deputy gangs that were active in the department, including the 3000 Boys, Wayside Whities, Banditos, and Reapers.
Investigations have also focused on the Executioners, another group inside the LASD. The executioners were a “violent gang” that attacked other officers, and they were mainly stationed at the Compton Sheriff’s Station. Members of the Executioners allegedly exchanged tattoos of a skull, wore a Nazi helmet, and threw “998 parties” to commemorate deputy-involved shootings.
The new policy does not remove the legal obstacles. An earlier investigation of these gangs by the county’s Office of the Inspector General was halted by a lawsuit filed by the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALDS). ALDS filed a lawsuit against the county and the OIG in 2023, arguing that the probe would infringe on deputies’ constitutional rights to privacy and their ability to work. The court issued A preliminary injunction, stopping the probe in favor of ALDS.
While arguing that deputies should have due process, ALDS president Richard Pippin said the group does not support misbehavior.
“The ACLU’s own website states, ‘Every person in this country should have the same basic rights,’” Pippin said in response to criticism from advocacy groups. “Apparently, disdain for law enforcement has led some in their organization to the conclusion that this does not apply to peace officers.”
