Brianna Lee
@briannaclee
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Civics & Democracy producer @laist. Trying to make news more accessible & useful at every level. I will talk to you about voter guides anytime, anywhere
Joined August 2009
L.A. city officials have made it impossible to accurately track homelessness spending, in large part by outsourcing to an agency that fails to collect accurate data on its vendors and hold them accountable, according to an audit overseen by a federal judge
laist.com
Many of the problems identified were at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the public agency known as LAHSA.
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Today marks 1 year since Andrew Do called for me to be fired. I had been reporting on his undisclosed family ties to unaccounted-for tax dollars he had quietly awarded. Do ultimately pleaded guilty to a scheme to steal millions of those dollars. https://t.co/jRqBo2sKFH
laist.com
Nearly a year after LAist started investigating what happened to millions in taxpayer dollars, Do pleaded guilty to federal charges and resigned as an…
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What are the best legislative trackers out there? Ones that aren't just searchable databases of legislation, but actually help you UNDERSTAND what the legislation was and how/why reps voted on them? Bonus points if it's from a local source!
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I wish there was more reporting like this about bills we hear about that never surface again. Not only does it sidestep responsibility for policy decisions, but residents don't get follow-up about something they heard about, and it adds to the fatigue.
calmatters.org
Few bills fail in California's Legislature fail because lawmakers publicly voted no. Instead, most disappear due to not being taken up.
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If you’ve been feeling down about journalism's future, I invite you to read this story about the 100th anniversary of Santa Ana College’s student newspaper . . . w/ photos by: @bfeinzimer
https://t.co/wogXdOcdp6
laist.com
Record layoffs. The threat of AI. A free fall in public trust. All around, journalism is crumbling. And yet, at Santa Ana College, these students and…
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NEW: Then-OC Supervisor Michelle Steel directed her district’s $1.2 million pandemic meals contract to a company that prints her campaign mail. The meals cost taxpayers three times as much as vendors in two other districts, according to an LAist review. https://t.co/zGpPlYFVXV
laist.com
The contract Steel directed to her campaign mail vendor in 2020 charged taxpayers about $24 per meal, three times as much as vendors charged in two other…
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After a relentless monthslong investigation by @nicholasgerda, OC Supervisor Andrew Do is resigning and pleading guilty over a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors.
laist.com
Federal prosecutors say the longtime O.C. supervisor has agreed to plead guilty and resign in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed…
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After 8 years of working on local election guides, I'm convinced we need a semester-long class to fully understand what we're asked to vote on year after year. Grateful that @LAist goes all in on local elections. If you are too, consider a donation:
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After you've turned in your ballot, sign up for our post-election newsletter Make It Make Sense! @caitlinherdez and I will be breaking down election results to figure out what happens next and get your input on how to hold officials accountable. https://t.co/9Ax8MZ3IdA
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Still have questions about your ballot? Ask us! I'm in charge of answering each and every question that comes our way, so you WILL get a response. I have and will go down entire rabbit holes to get you those answers.
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If Election Day were Christmas, @LAist would be Mariah Carey. Our voter guides for this year's local elections are out now, and they cover A LOT (with more coming)! Here's what we have to offer so far on LA County races: https://t.co/qHnuEq4PyC And there's more...
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SoCal races this year in which candidates are running unopposed: https://t.co/tCktUU7jeu via LAist's Makenna Sievertson
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Any successes I've been a part of in the last 2.5 years were because of Ariel's leadership & creative thinking. I learned so much working with her and the organization has benefited so much. So devastated by this loss for us (and envious of whoever is able to work with her next)
I was one of the people laid off from @LAist yesterday. I didn’t take the buyout bc I was excited about some of the things I had in the works. I’m sad I won’t get to finish them, but I’m really proud of the work I did there and grateful for my colleagues and all I learned.
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We want to put on the ballot a measure to expand the Board from five to nine supervisors, turn the County CEO into an elected position, and create an independent ethics commission. This would be the first update to our government structure in more than 100 years.
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Every journalist I know & most I know of do excellent work w few resources. Imagine the work we could do if we did have enough resources. How many more stories would be told. How much more power held to account. Forget competition, we need a healthy, diverse media ecosystem too.
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"Many proponents of council expansion hoped it would be placed on the November ballot, while the fervor for reform remained strong. That’s not going to happen." From @StoltzeFrankly:
laist.com
The idea of expansion gained momentum in 2022, after the City Hall tapes scandal.
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The news is out to members: LAist will be offering buyouts to staff. It may not be enough to prevent layoffs. There will be plenty of work happening over the next few weeks with our union, but I ask that if you love LAist, consider donating: https://t.co/tgyAd8Sfu2
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How — and why — to create a voter guide to local and state judicial elections A tip sheet featuring @katieemeyer4 at @SpotlightPA, @briannaclee and @caitlinherdez at @laist, and @RalstonReports at @TheNVIndy. https://t.co/Qn0WoSNcNY
journalistsresource.org
Judging judges: How three newsrooms created guides to local and state judicial races, and eight tips for how your newsroom can do it too.
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Yes votes on Prop 1 are leading by 1,698 votes right now, out of more than 6 million votes counted. This is the EVERY VOTE MATTERS lesson right here, folks https://t.co/q7bd8R1ndO
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