L.A. Times Scores Multiple Honors in California Journalism Awards Contest
The Los Angeles Times has earned 25 awards in the California News Publishers Association's California Journalism Awards competition. The awards, which recognize outstanding work from media outlets across the state, were presented at a gala in Los Angeles on May 17.
In all, The Times received 6 first-place awards in a wide range of categories, including food writing; agricultural reporting; best newsletter; feature story; investigative reporting; and public service journalism.
Below is a list of The Times' Division 1 honorees by category.
Food Writing/ReportingFirst place: Jenn Harris
Agricultural ReportingFirst place: Ian James, California's struggle to curb groundwater depletionSecond place: Jessica Garrison, Feds say he masterminded an epic California water heist. Some farmers say he's their Robin HoodFourth place: Cindy Carcamo, Fast-growing asparagus once flourished on California farms. Why is it disappearing?
Best NewsletterFirst place: Ryan Fonseca, Essential CaliforniaFourth place: Jaclyn Cosgrove, The Wild
ColumnsFifth place: Sammy Roth
Editorial CommentThird place: Karin Klein, California needs to break down walls between community colleges and CSUFifth place: Carla Hall, Editorial: Kill barred owls so spotted owls can live? Wildlife service should put plan on hold
Environment ReportingFifth place: Alex Wigglesworth, Stories from the Mojave Desert
Health ReportingThird place: Keri Blakinger and Connor Sheets, Magic mushroom chocolates are having a moment. But do they even contain mushrooms?Fourth place: Mackenzie Mays, How a San Diego doctor led the antiabortion movement to embrace controversial pill 'reversal'
In-Depth ReportingThird place: Anita Chabria and Jessica Garrison, False Confessions
Feature StoryFirst place: Mackenzie Mays, In the heart of Appalachia, a distant cousin of JD Vance leads an opposing 'authentic hillbilly' movementSecond place: Clara Harter, How an 836-pound 'cursed' emerald traveled the Americas, ruining lives and bankrupting menFifth place: John Penner, A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I'm on the road to see it — again
Profile StorySecond place: Mackenzie Mays, How California teen Chloe Cole emerged as a leader of the 'detransition' movement — and a right-wing iconThird place: Jessica Garrison and Hannah Wiley, How San Francisco became a launching pad for the most powerful women in politics
Investigative ReportingFirst place: Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Alex Halperin, Dirty WeedSecond place: Melody Gutierrez, Alene Tchekmedyian, David Wharton and Sean Greene, Pets for ProfitFifth place: James Queally, Scientology tried to 'derail' star's rape trial by harassing prosecutor, suit says, church calls claim 'false'
Sports Feature StoryFourth place: David Wharton and Nathan Fenno, The desperate hours: a pro baseball pitcher's fentanyl overdose
Transportation ReportingFifth place: Colleen Shalby, In a city known for gridlock, LAX is a standout. Can it be fixed?
Public Service JournalismFirst place: Mackenzie Mays, Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California isn't ensuring they workFourth place: Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Alex Halperin, Dirty Weed
The complete list of winners can be found at cnpa.com.
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Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Crowds gather in DC for Trump military parade amid nationwide ‘No Kings' protests
WASHINGTON - Thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters descended on the nation's capital Saturday for a parade marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army, a rare spectacle of military hardware and uniformed soldiers filing down American streets. The festivities, scheduled to coincide with Trump's 79th birthday as well as Flag Day, drew as much MAGA paraphernalia as American flags to Constitution Avenue. Attendees who spoke with The Times all expressed support for the president. But outside the expansive security perimeter for the event, in downtown Washington and beyond in cities across the country, demonstrations of the "No Kings" movement against Trump's rule countered Trump's military display with a show of defiance. The pageantry of equipment, and of troops rallying around the commander in chief, comes amid a fierce battle in federal court over Trump's use of the armed forces, one week after he federalized the National Guard and deployed it to Los Angeles. A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the National Guard deployment violated the law. Trump had sought a military parade ever since his first term, when he fawned over the sight of a military march down the Champs-Élysées during a Bastille Day celebration in Paris. Saturday's event, according to an Army spokesperson, will cost between $25 million and $45 million, depending on how much damage the tanks inflict on D.C. roads. Ahead of the start of the parade on Saturday, visitors posed alongside tanks, jeeps and other military vehicles parked along the Mall, part of a large "festival" area between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Some expressed frustration with navigating the maze of security barriers, or confusion about where the festival area ended and where they could find the entrance to the separate parade route. One stand near the Mall had shirts reading, "The Big, Beautiful Military Parade," a reference to the similarly named spending bill that Trump has championed of late in Congress. After waiting in long lines, people cleared security checkpoints where they passed through metal detectors and had their bags - limited in size - checked by law enforcement. Inside, troops handed out bottled water for free from tents. "Take as many as you want," one said. "Stay hydrated." People who had entered along 14th Street near the Washington Monument rushed across the mall toward Constitution Avenue, where a grandstand played videos of military forces interspersed with images of Trump. People tired and hot from standing in line lay in the grass, clustered around trees for the shade. Paul Brown, a 57-year-old Army veteran, had driven to the event from Ohio. On Saturday, he wore a shirt that said, "Jesus is my savior. Trump is my president," and a hat reading, "Afghanistan War Veteran, U.S. Army." Brown said he served from 2010-16, and deployed to Afghanistan for nine months in 2012 and 2013 before being medically retired. He told The Times that the parade was a great thing. "I was in the Army, and it's nice to have somebody who gives a s- about the military, especially the commander in chief," he said. "And if other countries are watching, they'll see we can flex our muscles, too, if we have to." Of criticisms that such parades aren't commonly held in America, he said, "that's the problem - it's something America should have been doing." Members of the military die for this country, he said, and deserve to be honored. "It's the best thing in the world," he said. "This is history. I think this shows the military that we got a commander in chief who cares." Dozens of U.S. aircraft, hundreds of military vehicles, and thousands of soldiers are expected to take part in the parade, followed by a fireworks show. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers were seen practicing their march through the city on Friday morning. But the extent of Trump's participation is not entirely clear in light of the emerging crisis in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. While a handful of counterprotests are expected within the district itself, dozens are planned around the country. The "No Kings" protests, according to their organizers, are meant to counterprogram Trump's "made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday." "Real power isn't staged in Washington," the group's website reads. "It rises up everywhere else." The Trump administration has said it welcomes peaceful protests throughout the country Saturday. But that White House commitment was called into question earlier this week, when a federal judge in California ruled that Trump had violated the law by federalizing the National Guard in response to largely peaceful demonstrations in Los Angeles protesting its immigration enforcement tactics. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said he was "troubled by the implication" inherent in the Trump administration's argument that "protest against the federal government, a core civil liberty protected by the First Amendment, can justify a finding of rebellion." Trump wrested control over the National Guard troops from California Gov. Gavin Newsom to deploy 2,000 to Los Angeles after less than 24 hours of protests across the city. Thousands more were later called to Los Angeles, as were hundreds of Marines. Late Thursday, following an appeal by the administration, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals put Breyer's decision on hold, leaving the forces in L.A. under Trump's control as the litigation continues. The deployments of troops to march in D.C. were not challenged, though critics of the current administration have similarly criticized their presence in an American city - blasting the parade as the sort of spectacle more expected from a country such as North Korea. Constitution Avenue, where the parade will be held, was closed to traffic. Tourists wandered through openings in the gates, some lamenting the lengthy detours the barriers required - especially given the humidity and heat that pressed down on the city. City road closures and flight delays from nearby Reagan National Airport are expected throughout much of Saturday. There is also a chance it will rain on the president's parade, with thunderstorms, lightning and flash flooding forecast for the district. High chances of lightning, an Army spokesman said, could result in a cancellation of the festivities. But Trump addressed the weather forecasts on Saturday morning, writing on social media, "OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PARADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C." Small signs of protest against the Trump administration were already apparent around the Mall on Friday, though it was unclear when they'd been put up. One sign stuck to a utility box read, "Immigrants are not the enemy," while another read, "All You Fascists Bound to Lose." A man rode a bicycle along 14th Street near the Washington Monument holding up a large sign calling the president a "creep" and "unfit" - among other things. The security measures were similar to those put in place during other major events in Washington's downtown core - at least since Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed attempt to keep Trump in office after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. The insurrection caused widespread damage to the Capitol and put many lawmakers at risk, but drew a decidedly different response from Trump than the recent protests in L.A. Shortly after he was reelected, Trump pardoned all of the Jan. 6 defendants. Jeanette Mangia, 46, stood on the National Mall on Saturday afternoon waiting for a friend - a "fellow J6er," as she put it. Mangia was among those charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nearby Capitol. She faced a dozen charges, including multiple assault charges, she said, and was in jail for seven months before Trump won reelection and pardoned her and all the other Jan. 6 defendants, which led to the case against her being dropped and her release. She had driven down from Pennsylvania for the parade. It was her first time back in Washington since her release, she said. "It feels kind of strange, know what I mean?" she said, pointing around the Mall. "I seen these streets every time I went back and forth to court" from jail. Mangia had a "Trump 2028" hat on, and said she wants him to run again - which the Constitution forbids - "if there's no better option." "He's the lesser of two evils, that's for sure," she said. She was hoping to meet up with a group of other so-called J6ers on Saturday to make some kind of statement about their deserving compensation for being jailed, she said. "Some people want millions. I don't want that," she added. "I just want to be made whole." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Why we are celebrating California's greatness in 101 restaurants right now
A truth of journalism: You conceive a long-term project and you set a publish date months in advance. You can't possibly predict what will be happening in the world on the day a project is scheduled to go live. This week, The Times published its first-ever guide to the 101 Best Restaurants in California, an undertaking that builds on our annual 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles tentpole and for which I traveled statewide for much of the past year. It arrives amid unsettling turbulence: accelerated immigration raids in Los Angeles and across California; President Trump's extraordinary deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guardsmen to L.A. and pursuant challenges to their presence in court; federal agents shoving U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla to the ground and cuffing him for interrupting a news conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; and countrywide planned 'No Kings' demonstrations to oppose the Trump administration's policies. Like most Angelenos, I have no patience for the mischaracterizations of Los Angeles in national conversation, particularly around the recent anti-ICE protests. My colleague Stephanie Breijo reported on how downtown's restaurants and bars are struggling, given the 8 p.m. curfew in areas that extend beyond the hot zones for anti-ICE protests. Breijo, Lauren Ng and Karla Marie Sanford also specifically asked vendors in Grand Central Market how they're weathering the moment. And Sanford talked with taqueros and other street vendors about their safety fears. Consider what these businesses have already endured in the last five years. So it's understandable to bookmark a list of great places to eat across California for another time … or? Take a scroll as a breather from the chaotic news cycle. Because if there's one positive effect out of the ugliness, it's that many Californians are feeling more united in spirit right now. Anyone who writes about food in Los Angeles or California considers the diversity of our communities constantly. It's implied in every narrative. Read about these restaurants and it couldn't be plainer: The glories of culinary California feeds and influences the nation, and the world would not exist without immigrants. Since starting with The Times in late 2018, I've written or co-written six annual guides to the 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles. Each year, I've tinkered with the same thought: What would it be like to take that guiding 101 number and expand it to the whole state? The idea was partly from experience. Months before moving to Los Angeles, while working as the national critic for Eater, I had joined colleagues in tackling a project naming California's 38 essential restaurants. Crisscrossing the state then only made me want to see, taste and understand more. Los Angeles is a cultural world of its own. It changes too quickly and covers too much ground, in many senses, to cement its definition. Which is why, with the L.A. 101 guide, it's always been thrilling to ask: Which mix of restaurants tells the most compelling, complete and delicious story about Los Angeles right now? A broader working answer to that question drove with me across the state. I did not rank the restaurants on this list, though of course I'm aware plenty of people crave stars and status to argue over. Ranking restaurants in Los Angeles once a year is hard enough. Take in the entries and you'll see that, for maximum usefulness, the named 101 restaurants are starting points. There was too much excellence to highlight at every level in California. It made sense in many cases to embed 'extra helpings' of restaurants similar in style or cuisine or geography. For instance, you might glance down the list of places in San Francisco — the U.S. capital of fine dining, full-stop — and say, 'These are out of my budget!' Keep reading, and you'll see I've also included more affordable dining recommendations in the city. Or you might be spending the afternoon in Orange County's Little Saigon district, so along with my favorite overall restaurant and pho shop, I mention some other area jewels. An early question I'm hearing about the California 101 project: 'What surprised you the most?' One answer: Among California's cities, I knew our state capital the least before this endeavor. I spent nearly two weeks there experiencing as much as I could. While I turned to peers (like my counterparts at the San Francisco Chronicle) for guidance in other areas, I relied on some unusually well-fed friends in Sacramento. I'm particularly remembering my second night, dining at a place that turned out to be solid but not exceptional, and I said to the three locals at my table: 'OK, so what do you all think is the absolute greatest restaurant in this city?' And they all looked at each other and said, pretty much in unison, 'Restaurant Josephine in Auburn.' So 30 seconds later, I was snagging the last reservation at 5:30 p.m. for the next night at Josephine, a worthy 30-mile drive up I-80 from the city's center. Over a California-French meal of deep-shelled oysters, duck liver mousse, garlicky escargot and a pork chop nestled among bacony cabbage with apples, the same group leveled their gazes at me as if to say, 'See?' I saw. And Kelly Dobkin put together a guide to eight bakeries with globally inspired croissants that are uniquely L.A.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
THE DISH: Wool Growers makes LA Times list of best restaurants in state
Bakersfield is back in the spotlight this week thanks to Wool Growers Restaurant. The longtime Basque eatery was named to the Los Angeles Times' 101 Best California Restaurants list. Restaurant critic Bill Addison doesn't mince words in reducing Bakersfield down culinarily to its rich Basque history. He writes that he passes through the area at least once a year, hitting up a couple of Basque spots to debate which sets the bar since the original Noriega Hotel, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant, closed in 2020. Addison gives the edge to the East 19th Street restaurant that has been in operation since 1954. He notes the fried chicken is a little juicier and more roundly garlicky, that meat tumbles off the bone in the hearty oxtail stew and the vinegar of the sliced pickled tongue "twangs like Parker Posey's North Carolina accent in 'The White Lotus.'" Salt is needed on the fries to make them great by his standards. (The hot salsa served with the opening courses also works well with the potatoes with fewer health concerns for diners, in my opinion.) Atmosphere and staff also earn his praise:" ... The beige floral wallpaper and the plastic table coverings over white tablecloths woozily blur the time-space continuum. I don't know quite where or when I am, but the friendly, fast-moving staff always seems glad I'm here." The critic also briefly acknowledges Pyrenees Cafe and The Sinking Ship for providing "outlandish, pirate-themed bliss." Two other Central Valley restaurants made the list: the new American-style spot Saizon in Fresno and Mi Ranchito Cafe in Stockton. Visit for the complete list. Additions for Father's Day Special offers and menus continue to be announced right up until the holiday. Here are a few that didn't make the list shared earlier this week. At C Fresh (920 California Ave., Suite A): Dads can enjoy $2 beers along with a seafood boil or other entree at the central Bakersfield spot. Bangkok Street Food (6300 White Lane,Suite F): Diners will receive a free tiramisu cake with a dine-in purchase of $35 or more on Sunday. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (10750 Stockdale Highway): All dads get a free limited-edition pint glass. Rewards members will receive a 20% VIP card when dining at the restaurant on Sunday. The card is good for a discount on food, merchandise and nonalcoholic beverages once per day from June 17 to July 7. Del Taco (multiple locations): Take advantage of a buy one, get one free deal on epic burritos now through Sunday via the Del Yeah! Rewards app. Those who buy $40 worth of e-gift cards will receive a free regular size meal (choice of combos 1 to 14) and those who purchase $100 worth will receive three free regular-size meals. Free meal offer redeemable through July 31. Eureka! (10520 Stockdale Highway): Treat Dad to an Russell's Reserve Old Fashioned, made with the Kentucky bourbon, for $10. Guests can also enjoy a Father's Day prix fixe menu ($40) that includes a choice of appetizer (Caesar salad, nachos, fried pickles or Dorito-crusted shishito peppers), entree (choice of chilaquiles, breakfast sandwich or French toast until 3 p.m. or Eureka! American cheeseburger, spicy fried chicken sandwich or steak salad all day) and dessert (chocolate cake or carrot cake). California Pizza Kitchen (10150 Stockdale Highway): Purchase a $50 gift card and receive a $10 bonus card valid from July 1 to 29. El Patron Bar and Grill (4803 Panama Lane): All shrimp dishes will be $20.99 and the restaurant will also have drink specials all day. Headquarters Bar and Eatery (3015 Calloway Drive): This spot will have a $20.99 dinner with a 10-ounce rib-eye, cheese enchiladas, eggs and country potatoes with the option of a discounted beer or michelada. Huevo House (3939 Ming Ave.): Dads can enjoy a rib-eye plate ($20.99), served with two eggs, potatoes and two cheese enchiladas, as well as a $3 beer or $6 micheladas on Sunday. Legends (7900 Downing Ave.): Enjoy a rib-eye and grilled shrimp plate ($36.99) with choice of red wine mushroom sauce or peppercorn sauce , served with mashed potatoes and grilled squash. Call 661-218-9789 for reservations.
