California legislators are proposing a bill to ban the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes in retail stores and vending machines. Lawmakers pushing the legislation say the goal is to reduce [ … ]
Who Was that Get-Rich-Quick Guy Who Used to Advertise in L.A.?
For answers to more of your burning questions, visit the Ask Chris archive. I used to see newspaper ads for a get-rich-quick system by a used-car pitchman in L.A. What was that? [ … ]
Celebrate Repeal Day at These Prohibition-Era L.A. Haunts
December 5 marks 85 years since the end of Prohibition, that dark era when booze was verboten but everyone figured out how to drink anyway. There are many places you could [ … ]
Historical Figures Tell the Story of L.A., One Letter and Diary Entry at a Time
In the new book Dear Los Angeles, our contributor David Kipen weaves letters, diary entries, and blog posts from the mid-18th century to the 21st into a stunning narrative. Here are [ … ]
L.A.’s Best Malls and Why We Love Them
How old were you when you learned it wasn’t cool to love the mall anymore? I was about 20, in college getting a liberal arts degree, and dating an anarchist [ … ]
Brexit was a blunder. British voters should have the chance to undo their mistake
After delaying a vote in Parliament on the Brexit agreement she reached with the European Union, British Prime Minister Theresa May met Tuesday with European leaders. Her hope was that they might [ … ]
Legislators who push for gun laws are targeted with intimidation campaigns. I know because it happened to me
The email landed in my inbox on Monday morning of last week. “The gun-grabbing tyrants are on the march,” it screamed in bold text, “but their defeat is possible with [ … ]
India and the big demonetization. Has Modi solved cash?
In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Modi demonetized all of the nation’s ₹1000 and ₹500 banknotes. This was part of his odd war on counterfeiting and everybody else who might hold large amounts [ … ]
Another day, another diatribe
The Lore on Drugs Hold on to your zigzags kiddies. You are about to take a kaleidoscope trip into the realm of neo-reefer-madness, where everything is as it seems; contrived [ … ]
Modern American Rape Culture
One only has to turn on the television to realize that modern day American culture revolves around sex, or the promise of sex. From wanton behavior by day-time soap actresses [ … ]