Author Archives: Robert Faturechi

Mayoral hopeful Antonio Villaraigosa got a little help from his friends Saturday when Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and several other high profile Democrats came together to roundly endorse the councilman’s run for the mayor’s office. Kerry told the hundreds of Angelenos who gathered at Los Angeles Valley College, a community college in the San Fernando […]

As the mayoral race reaches its final stretch, labor unions, a key voting bloc, are sending mixed messages to Angeleno voters and the two candidates vying to be mayor. Though the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, a powerful labor organization representing nearly 350 locals, has endorsed incumbent Mayor Jim Hahn, the rank-and-file union members […]

Kirk Larson can describe the scene perfectly: it’s nearly 5 p.m. and the workers have gone home. The sun is setting on a long day of labor in the strawberry fields of Irvine and in the distance, Larson can make out his two teenage sons traversing the horizon on horseback. Larson, a pomologist specializing in […]

Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin and … the University of California? Though not often mentioned in the same breath, the UC has proven to be one of the most prolific research institutions in the country, a status some say provides a boost to the state’s economy. The university’s research and development is believed […]

A bipartisan group of senators and house representatives, most notably Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., have unveiled a proposal to increase federal student aid by overhauling the way in which student loans are distributed. If passed, the legislation, which is being proposed by Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., Congressman Tom Petri, R-Wisc., and Congressman George Miller, D-Calif., […]

After a night of drawn-out ballot counting, the stage has been set for what is expected to be a fierce runoff election for Los Angeles mayor between Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa and incumbent James Hahn. Villaraigosa emerged ahead by a comfortable margin, while Hahn faced a night of uncertainty before poll results indicated that he edged […]

In a city known for drama, the Los Angeles mayoral election was no exception, as inconclusive reports have left voters with a cliffhanger as a conclusion to weeks of campaigning. Early ballot counts with nearly 22 percent of precincts reporting have projected Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa in first place with almost 31 percent […]