EKA Partner Eric Rose teamed up with Thom Weidlich to analyze one of the most significant crisis communications stories of the moment, the United Farm Workers’ response to sexual abuse allegations against legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez. The piece examines how the UFW navigated an extraordinarily difficult position: acting decisively before all the facts were known while carefully framing what it did and didn’t know. Eric and Thom note that the union’s early decision to withdraw from Cesar Chavez Day events was a powerful symbolic step that signaled it was taking the allegations seriously. The article also tracks how quickly organizations moved to cancel events and rename honors in the wake of the New York Times exposé. It’s a timely and insightful read for anyone interested in crisis communications best practices. Read the full article here.
The Los Angeles City Clerk officially certified 14 candidates for the June 2, 2026 mayoral primary election. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass faces a competitive field that includes City Councilmember Nithya Raman – who entered the race at the last moment in February – reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, democratic socialist Rae Chen Huang, and others. The June primary will also feature races for City Controller, City Attorney, and multiple City Council districts. If no mayoral candidate secures a majority of the vote on June 2, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held on November 3. Key issues across campaigns include homelessness, housing affordability, public safety, and rising costs of living. Raman’s entry has reshaped what was once viewed as Bass’s clear path to re-election, with analysts noting the race tests whether LA’s electorate trends progressive or further left. Bass continues to be considered the frontrunner given her party connections and incumbency advantage.
A USC-led study monitoring water and sand quality along L.A.’s coastline in the year following the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires found no evidence of significant harm to human health or marine ecosystems. Despite initial spikes in heavy metals like lead, mercury, and beryllium detected in the weeks after the fires, levels have since remained well below California and EPA safety thresholds. Researchers note that even peak lead concentrations in seawater barely exceeded 1 microgram per liter, far under the EPA’s 8.1 microgram limit, and sand samples showed lead levels a fraction of California’s residential soil standard.
Here’s the final list of candidates for L.A. city elections
New report on L.A. post-fire beach contamination finds something unexpected: good news
LA City Council looks to support businesses impacted by federal immigration raids
Four of the five LA County supervisors endorsed Karen Bass for mayor
L.A. will continue to fund eviction defense program
State Allocates Funds for LA Rail, Port Projects as Part of $900M Plan
LA County Awards $140,000 in Entrepreneurship Academy Grants to Support Small Business Growth
LA City Council approves plan to allow small- to mid-sized apartment buildings near transit stops
Executives from the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, joined by politicians, longshore labor, and other stakeholders, called on California to include $1 billion in its fiscal year 2027 budget as part of a coordinated modernization strategy across the state’s 11 deepwater ports. Speaking at a March 20 media briefing overlooking Los Angeles Harbor, advocates argued that uncertainty over federal funding and the ongoing impact of tariffs make state investment essential to keeping California ports competitive. Rep. Mike Gipson, who chairs the Select Committee on Ports and Goods Movement, noted that port activity supports 3.1 million jobs, generates $134 billion in worker income, and adds $38 billion in tax revenue statewide.
Powering LA28: Energy, Infrastructure & the Future of Los Angeles
Beverly Hills City Council OKs 26-Story Builder’s Remedy Tower on Burton Way
Exploring the impacts of California’s minimum wage for fast food workers
Culver City to Receive Measure A Funding: Culver City Park, Fox Hills to Benefit
Santa Monica City Council Approves Sweeping Economic Revitalization Package
Eleven Candidates Now Running for Beverly Hills City Council
Opinion | Should LA’s City Council get bigger for better representation? Let voters decide
