Dakota Smith is a staff writer in the Los Angeles Times’ Sacramento bureau, where she covers state government and politics. She was part of the team that won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for reporting on a leaked audio recording that upended City Hall politics. She joined the newsroom in 2016 and previously covered City Hall for the Los Angeles Daily News. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College.
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A bill that would have banned the sale of genetically-modified pets for cosmetic reasons died in committee Thursday.
Two state lawmakers want cold storage companies to take care of local communities after industrial disasters.
Regulators and environmentalists are divided over the PFAS chemicals, which are widely used in agriculture.
The lawsuit seeks to change the ballot’s summary.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that his agency will withhold $867.5 million in Medicaid payments to California over concerns about fraud.
A water main broke in West Hollywood, flooding a neighborhood off Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive.
Both Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton stuck to familiar themes in their separate speeches to Latino leaders in downtown L.A. as they jockey for position in the California governor’s race.
Antelope Valley residents already on alert due to the Summit Fire had to contend with a second blaze in the area on Saturday. The Juno fire consumed 188 acres.
Privacy concerns led the LAPD to pause its use of Flock Safety’s license plate surveillance cameras. The company has been criticized for allowing federal and national agencies to access its data.
A bill supported by L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman seeks to help place abused animals with a foster home or rescue group.