In 2015, I interviewed the man credited with bringing sushi to L.A. But all he wanted to talk about was the old friend who gave him the idea. They'd long since parted ways. What happened? Today we're finally sharing the story of the renegades of raw fish:

RT @JamesQueallyLAT: -- The school district confirmed this and says it has surveillance footage (though they have not released it). -- This….

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RT @jaweedkaleem: NEW: @DanielNMiller and I report on how $584 million in grant fund freezes are hitting UCLA researchers looking into Lyme….

RT @jaweedkaleem: BREAKING: The Trump administration is seeking $1 billion+ from the University of California to restore UCLA's frozen fede….

The last few years have been brutal for L.A. restaurants, with hundreds of notable spots closing. And that was before the Palisades fire and ICE raids. But L.A. Trade Tech's culinary program is thriving, with rapidly growing enrollment. I looked into why:

Ever since January's Palisades fire spewed toxins into the Pacific, parents have worried whether summer surf camps would be safe. Now, enrollment is down dramatically. I went on L.A. TIMES TODAY to talk about the surfing swoon and how operators are coping.

RT @jaweedkaleem: NEW: Now that $300+ million in UCLA grants are frozen, will the university follow Columbia, Brown to settle with Trump? @….

Watches are a $23 billion industry in the U.S. But the field is experiencing a crisis — an education crisis. There are simply not enough American watchmakers, and the schools that train them are disappearing. Rolex just opened a new one. Will it be enough?

Breaking: UCLA will pay $6.45 million to settle a civil rights suit filed by three Jewish students and a professor over the school's handling of the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests. Most of the money will be donated to Jewish groups. Story w/ @jaweedkaleem:

Eight years — and two world championships — later, Dodger fans still lustily boo former Astro Carlos Correa when he’s at Chavez Ravine.

RT @MegJamesLAT: SCOOP: 'South Park' creators reach $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount, finally bringing the beloved cartoon to P….

RT @MattBelloni: News: On tonight’s Daily Show, guest is LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who announces that he is taking the newspaper….

RT @brittny_mejia: ‘I already want to cry.’ Undocumented parents prepare for the unthinkable: Giving up their kids

RT @Ryan_Kartje: USC is in the midst of a serious financial crisis, with an operating deficit now over $200 million. That means “painful”….

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I had a great time on “L.A. Times Today” — we talked about the plight of the California avocado farmer. One grower from L.A. has waged legal and legislative battles against entrenched interests he believes aren’t doing right by him and other farmers:

For many West L.A. parents, it was the question of the spring: was it safe to send their kids to surf camp this summer? They feared the ocean was filled w/ Palisades fire toxins. I wondered, how are the camps faring? The answer: not well. 📷 by @alschaben:

Just so much respect for this family that took a Waymo from LAX to Tito’s and lugged their suitcases up to the counter to order a fat stack of tacos.

There were once 19 outposts of Louise's. Talk about bold-faced names: Mel Gibson and Michael Keaton were fans. Overseeing it all was Bill Chait, who later opened Bestia and Republique. To do it, he hired chefs Gino Angelini and Nicola Mastronardi. Guy Fieri worked there too.

Vicini, the Italian spot by chef Lucio Bedon, closed last week. He's one of several notable Italian chefs who quietly got his start in the '90s at Louise's Trattoria. The humble chain, now w/ just one location, was in fact a surprising culinary incubator:

This is the first known aerial photo of L.A. It was taken in 1887 from a hot air balloon as part of a promotional stunt by William Randolph Hearst. The balloon was launched from Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park), and traveled as high as 14,000 feet.