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Do you remember what you were doing when the infamous L.A. City Hall racist audio leak scandal broke four years ago?

I always will: I was naked.

Sunday morning, Oct. 9, 2022, around 8 a.m., I was about to take a shower when I decided to check my cellphone one more time. Thank God I did: If I hadn’t, I would’ve been half an hour late on assisting in one of the most explosive stories ever to hit L.A. politics.

Via Slack, Times assistant managing editor Steve Clow asked if I could serve as a second set of ears on audio that my colleagues had unearthed involving four of the most powerful L.A. políticos at the time: City Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera. I was still in my birthday suit (sorry for the visual, gentle readers, but I’m sworn to report the facts on this job) when I played the snippet Clow shared: Martinez describing the Black son of then-Councilmember Mike Bonin as “su negrito” — his darky.

I put on my shorts and told my wife I wouldn’t be helping at her restaurant that day.

Clow sent me more clips over the next hour, each crasser than the other — I remember gasping audibly at the part when the four were laughing as Martinez referred to Oaxacans as “ugly.” That morning, my colleagues Benjamin Oreskes, Dakota Smith, Julia Wick and David Zahniser published their first story on the fiasco, which turned out to be a secretly recorded conversation from a year earlier that someone had posted on Reddit just the day before.

The scandal quickly became a national sensation, with even then-President Joe Biden weighing in. L.A. wretched in collective disgust and demanded action, which definitely came: Martinez and Herrera quickly resigned, while Cedillo — who had already lost his reelection bid — would stay on until his bitter end, and De León wouldn’t leave until challenger Ysabel Jurado destroyed him in his 2024 reelection bid. The electoral repercussions of the audio leak can still be felt four years later in this election, as Nithya Raman stages a strong challenge against incumbent Karen Bass — a sentence no one would’ve believed in the fall of 2022, when Bass was on the cusp of winning her first term, and Raman was the lone democratic socialist on the council.

I would’ve figured the anniversary of something as titanic as all of the above would’ve sparked more commemorations than just my columna this week. Nope! L.A. has moved on to the point that Cedillo wasn’t booted from a group photo that included current District 9 council candidate Jose Ugarte, former Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and current Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez — because even Chicanosauruses can survive a political asteroid, I guess?

Having political leaders spew racist, homophobic nonsense now seems like the good ol’ days in an era where infernos destroy or stink up swaths of L.A., immigration agents terrorize immigrants from Westwood to the Eastside, and a spokesperson for a sitting American president denies that the commander in chief suggested Iran bomb the City of Angels, even though he said it during a campaign rally.

I shouldn’t really be surprised, I guess: L.A. infamously loves to forget its own history. But I would urge all you readers to read the great, Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage my colleagues did in the aftermath of the audio leak scandal, because it captured the city at its worst — but also its finest as residents fought back and demanded politicians do better.

Four years later, we can only hope this upcoming election shows more of the same.

The week’s biggest stories

Domenic Hix looks back as a large wave crashes on the shoreline in Laguna Beach on Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Charles Phoenix)

Today’s recipe

(Rebecca Peloquin / For The Times)

This recipe makes apple butter that is less sweet than most; use more sugar if you like, but don’t use less or there won’t be enough to properly preserve the pureed apples.

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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

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Duffy scored both goals in Derry’s win at Eamonn Deacy Park to send his side into the final and was understandably emotional at the final whistle, aware that ” it was so importnat we got to the final this year”.

“It’s been a tough year all round,” he continued.

“Now we can get a real buzz around the town this month, build it up and get that good feeling back between us all. We’ve a brilliant day to look for ward to.”

Derry City’s form has imporved since Connolly’s appointment in August as they have removed any fears of relegation while reaching the cup final.

Duffy praised the impact of the former defender who he feels has liberated the team to express themselves on the pitch.

“He’s letting us play free-flowing football, encouraging all the defenders to try and play football as we’re all good players,” Duffy said.

“He wants us to take risks and we’re constantly doing that every day in training. Before matches he’s saying that if we lose the ball, that’s on him.

“He’s enclouraging us so much and it’s so enjoyable to play in. I think you can see that in these last few weeks were we are dominant and playing some nice football, but the main thing is players are digging in massively.

“You can see on the pitch it means everything to every player.”

To understand the dedication and determination of football players from unbeaten Cleveland High, let’s review the commitment of backup quarterback Julio Avalos. He was so excited after guiding the Cavaliers to a 14-9 win over City Section power Birmingham that he spent all night watching film.

Asked what time he finally decided to go to sleep, Avalos said, “4 a.m.”

The entire offensive line eats together at lunch in the cafeteria.

“You see people hiding their food,” one lineman quipped.

They also get together on Thursdays for pasta night, where one player acknowledged eating “six to eight” chocolate chip cookies to close out a night of shared love for carbohydrates.

Then there’s the 34-year-old coach Mario Guzman. It’s been decades since a young coach armed with a teaching credential has pulled off the kind of breakthrough season in the City Section that Cleveland is enjoying, at a time when the City has lost such historic coaching figures as Robert Garrett, Angelo Gasca, Lorenzo Hernandez, Paul Knox and Mike Walsh.

Think back to 1992 when Troy Starr of Taft was 30 years old and took his team to the City 3-A final after a winless 1991 season.

If Cleveland (7-0) wins out and captures the West Valley League title, the Cavaliers likely will receive the No. 2 seeding behind defending champion Carson in the City Section Open Division playoffs. Cleveland never plays in the Open Division.

“I told him, ‘Good luck, baby,’” Birmingham coach Jim Rose said of his message to Guzman.

“They have 30 seniors. That’s a huge help,” Rose said. “He’s got his guys believing in what they do as a program. Their identity is to pound the ball on offense. The first two series, we gave up touchdowns. One thing about Cleveland is they always get athletes, but they put it together this season. He’s got enough big guys and enough speed to get it going.”

Cleveland also went on the road to beat another City power, Crenshaw, 24-18. Each win came with Avalos at quarterback, replacing the injured Domenik Fuentes. Avalos normally plays receiver, but he had to fill in last season when Fuentes got hurt before returning for the playoffs.

Cleveland’s offensive line has been a strength, including, from left, right tackle Carlos Gomez, right guard Carter Fitzgerald, center Pedro Castaneda, center Adam Garbisch, left guard Jovanni Orellana and left tackle Josue Fonseca.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times )

Guzman was caught by surprise last season when he didn’t prepare for losing Fuentes, so all summer, he vowed to never again to be without a fully ready backup quarterback. Fuentes returned on Friday night to pass for 208 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-20 win over El Camino Real.

Cleveland has multiple running backs, led by Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi. The defense features middle linebacker Joseph Hurtado, who Rose said is impressive as a tackler.

Guzman is a third-year coach who was an assistant under former coach Peter Gunny. Guzman graduated from Grant and served as an assistant there for several years while going to Valley College, Cal State Northridge and National University to gain a teaching credential. His wife, Elizabeth, helps out with her cooking skills during preseason practices. She’s a prekindergarten teacher for ages 4 and 5, which means she has lots of patience.

“She was fired up,” Guzman said about the Birmingham game. “She wanted a headset.”

TK Drayton, who’s been in Cleveland’s program for four years, said of Guzman, “He loves us outside of sports. He checks on you. You want to go the extra mile for him.”

Discipline has been big for Guzman, whether that means players show up to weight training wearing all black or making sure they never walk when heading to the practice field.

Guzman also has integrity. He’s the last adult to leave Cleveland after games. Sometimes it takes until nearly midnight for the final player to be picked up by a parent. Guzman waits with him. Yes, it would be easy for Guzman to give the player a ride home, but that’s against LAUSD rules for teachers and coaches.

“All you can do is watch,” Guzman said.

The players have placed their trust in Guzman, as have parents. He’s delivering.

Man City face Liverpool in their first game since being found guilty of serious EPL financial breaches.

Red flares, smoke-filled pyrotechnics, strongly worded banners and trenchant chants.

Manchester City can expect a raucous and hostile reception when they arrive at Anfield for their Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday.

Liverpool supporters are angry, and they are planning to parade their emotions for City as the league leaders play their first match since being found guilty of breaking more than 100 financial rules.

In a decision that could have a drastic effect on the future of the English top flight, an independent commission found that City and their Emirati owners had arranged “sham” deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.2bn) from 2009 to 2018.

City, who deny any wrongdoing, have appealed against the devastating verdict.

The multiple breaches of Premier League regulations came during a period when City won three league titles and a clutch of other trophies while Liverpool struggled to break City’s stranglehold on the game in England.

City were given a taste of the resentment that awaits them when Manchester United fans goaded them during their 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Man City’s players and manager Enzo Maresca will get the full taste of a potentially fiery reception from Liverpool fans, who have also waited three weeks to watch their team back in action after the extended international break.

Social media posts and video reactions have made no secret of the anger that will be directed towards City by Liverpool’s supporters.

Spion Kop 1906, a Liverpool supporters group that organises flag and banner displays on The Kop, the famous single-tier south stand at Anfield, urged attendees to come prepared to show their support when the Reds host Man City.

“There’s loads riding on Sunday’s game on and off the pitch, but it’s down to us as a collective to bring the noise and get behind the team,” Spion Kop said on X.

“Bring your flags, bring your scarves and be at it from the very first minute.”

‘LFC vs Cheats’

A social media post promoting a “Bus greeting”, urging Liverpool supporters to gather near ‌‌‌‌the stadium several hours before kickoff ahead of the arrival of the City players’ bus, is also making the rounds on X.

Another post about the bus greeting took a dig at Man City, describing the match as “LFC vs Cheats”.

Merseyside Police said there would be an appropriate policing operation ⁠⁠⁠⁠in place on the day of the match.

Liverpool fans are no strangers to creating a hostile welcome for City.

In 2018 during a Champions League quarterfinal tie, City’s team bus was attacked with bottles and flares when it arrived at Anfield. Liverpool were subsequently fined 20,000 euros ($22,400) by UEFA, European football’s governing body.

Dom Farrell, author of the book Glory Days for the Waifs and Strays, which chronicled City’s rise from the third tier to European champions, expected Sunday’s showdown to be “massively hostile”.

“If they were to win against Liverpool and then beat an off-form Paris Saint-Germain [in the Champions League on Wednesday], you really get a siege mentality going,” Farrell told the AFP news agency.

“But there’s also a decent chance they get turned over, and then it just starts to feel like you’re in this sort of dead zone waiting for the verdict.”

‘Brutal day’

Former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville expected Sunday to be a “brutal day” for visiting Man City, who lead the standings with a 100 percent record and are six points ahead of Liverpool.

“If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them like you would never believe,” Neville said on The Overlap podcast.

“I suspect there may be banners. There will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception like you have never seen for them at Anfield.”

OUR Spotlight On column uncovers the top things to see and do in the best holiday destinations, as well as lesser-known spots, in the UK and abroad.

This week, we’re shining the light on the already well-lit destination of San Diego, which sees more than 300 days of sunshine a year.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited, and said: “I love exploring Belmont theme park, which dates back to 1925, which felt like going back to the 50s with wooden rollercoasters and spinning ice cream rides.

“Then hop over to South Mission Beach for some insane sushi at Cannonball overlooking the ocean, before a drink in Part Time Lover, a very cosy listening bar with a vinyl shop at the back.

“Save time for Barrio Logan too, named one of the best neighborhoods in the world with fantastic independent stores and street art.”

Here are some of our other top tips.

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MUST SEE/DO

You’ll want to take advantage of that glorious weather.

So head to La Jolla Cove which was recently named the best beach in the USA in the Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards.

The shoreline is home to crystal-clear waters that are ideal for snorkelling in – keep your eyes peeled for wild sea lions slouched on the rocks and sand, too.

If you’re not much of a snorkeller, grab yourself a kayak from one of the many rental stores or indulge in one of the gorgeous clifftop hiking trails that will take you along the coast.

HIDDEN GEM

Ditch the tourist attractions and crowded shores. Instead you should make a beeline for North Park, where the locals and creatives hang out.

Make sure you come thirsty as this area is crammed with independent coffee shops and some of the best craft beer in the States.

Make sure to admire the colourful murals splattered along the streets and pop into the vintage stores for a souvenir.

Take a look at the historic Observatory North Park ahead of your visit as you may time if perfectly to catch one of the regular gigs,

BEST VIEW

Take a stroll from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, just south of Ocean Beach.

This dramatic 1.5-mile stretch of rugged coastline is one of San Diego’s most spectacular viewpoints, where you can watch the Pacific waves crashing into rock arches while the sun sets beyond the horizon.

If you’re not one for a nature walk, then Mister A’s is a cracking rooftop restaurant perched high above downtown with sweeping panoramic views across San Diego, the bay and the flight path into the city’s airport.

Cocktails are being continually shaken and the atmosphere is warm and buzzy.

RATED RESTAURANT

Exciting new openings are cropping up all over the city, including Ikaria in La Jolla which is due to open towards the end of this year.

The restaurant is inspired by the Greek island which shares its name and will feature a vibrant Mediterranean menu alongside wine tastings session and cooking classes.

For a slap-up brunch, Morning Glory is set a few streets back from the waterfront, near the Harbor View area, and stars in the Michelin guide for good reason.

Decorated in hues of candy floss pink, with mirrored furniture and a champagne vending machine, it’s got an air of Palm Springs about it.

Star dishes include the indulgent souffle pancakes and fried chicken and waffles.

BEST BARS

Swap your cocktail for a pint from one of San Diego’s independent breweries – after all, this city is known as the IPA capital of the world.

Mujeres Brew House in Barrio Logan is run entirely by women and offers a whole host of craft pours including crisp lagers and bold West Coast IPAs.

It hosts regular events, live music sessions and pop-up food stalls in a casual but lively setting.

HOTEL PICK:

The 4* Pearl Hotel in Point Loma is affordable and elegant, with retro-inspired furniture and decor that make it feel like its from another era.

It’s quickly become one of San Diego’s coolest places to stay with stylish rooms, excellent cocktails and easy access to both downtown and the beach.

Rooms cost from £115 per night based on two people sharing a double. See thepearlsd.com.

The rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool will be renewed when they meet in Sunday’s supercharged Premier League clash at Anfield.

History suggests Liverpool are often favourites in this fixture, but recent form heavily favours the Manchester club.

City, who have dominated headlines in recent weeks over serious financial breach charges, lead the league’s points table with 15 points – six ahead of Liverpool, who are sixth in the standings.

Sunday’s match will be the 202nd fixture between the teams across all competitions, with Liverpool firmly leading the head-to-head with 95 victories, while City have won 53 matches with 53 drawn.

As Enzo Maresca faces off with Andoni Iraola this weekend, Al Jazeera looks back at the top five clashes over the years:

Liverpool 4-3 Manchester City (January 14, 2018 – Premier League)

Our list begins with this seven-goal league thriller from eight years ago.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave Liverpool an early lead that night at Anfield before Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scored in a rousing eight-minute spell in the second half to build a staggering 4-1 lead.

But Man City struck twice in the final six minutes through Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, forcing Liverpool to hold on for a nervous finish.

That result not only strengthened Liverpool’s top-four bid but also ended City’s unbeaten run that season.

Nonetheless, City went on to lift the title that term with a record-breaking 100 points, while Liverpool came fourth.

Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City (April 13, 2014 – Premier League)

This game goes further back in history and it’s another laden with goals.

On the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster when 97 Liverpool supporters died, a 10-man Liverpool side beat City 3-2 in a dramatic title-race clash.

Early goals by Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel put Liverpool in control, but City fought back through David Silva and a Glen Johnson own goal before Philippe Coutinho struck the winner for Liverpool 12 minutes from time.

Coutinho pounced on a loose clearance by City’s Vincent Kompany in the box, drilling the ball into the bottom corner as Anfield went wild for the ‘Little Magician’.

The victory marked a huge step towards Liverpool’s title charge, but ultimately it was City who won the league that season, finishing two points ahead of the Merseyside club.

Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool (January 3, 2019 – Premier League)

The next game on our list sees City on the winning side.

Sergio Aguero had given City the lead with his first-half strike before Firmino equalised four minutes from the hour -mark.

But Leroy Sane won the three vital points for the hosts, scoring the winner in the 72nd minute.

After a quick counterattack, Sterling picked out the onrushing Sane on the left side, just outside the box, before the German’s left-footed shot hit the inside of the post and the ball rolled into the bottom corner.

With that, Liverpool suffered their first loss of the season, ending a 20-game unbeaten streak.

City also went on to reduce Liverpool’s lead at the top to four points and eventually lifted the trophy, beating the Reds by just one point.

Liverpool 3-1 Manchester City (November 10, 2019 – Premier League)

This match goes back to the season that was the first to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goals from Fabinho, Salah and Mane guided the Reds to a hugely impressive 3-1 home win over the title holders.

The match is best remembered by Liverpool fans for Fabinho’s stunning goal, as the Brazilian launched the ball into the net from about 25 yards (23 metres) out.

The result also opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the table and went down as a defining moment in Liverpool’s campaign as they ended their 30-year quest to win the league.

That season, Liverpool finished with 99 points, a whopping 18 points ahead of second-placed City.

Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City (April 4, 2018 – Champions League quarterfinal, first leg)

Our top five list ends with a Champions League clash.

Liverpool fired three goals in the opening half-hour, ripping through their opponents in the first leg of this UCL quarterfinal clash.

Once again, Salah, Mane and Oxlade-Chamberlain were among the scorers as Liverpool took control of the knockout tie.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fierce finish – a thundering strike from outside the box – was the highlight of this fixture.

Liverpool went on to reach the final, where they fell to Real Madrid.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman will be on the same stage Tuesday night for their final debate before the Nov. 3 election, but the two mayoral candidates are expected to come in with starkly different game plans.

With recent polls showing Raman in the lead, the councilmember will likely try to avoid making any kind of flub during the in-studio debate hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo52 in Universal City.

“A successful debate for Raman is one in which not very much happens,” said Dan Schnur, a professor of politics at USC, UC Berkeley and Pepperdine.

Raman floundered at the last NBC4/Telemundo debate during the mayoral primary, when Spencer Pratt was also on stage. She got better marks after a debate with Bass before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. in August.

Along with avoiding mistakes, Raman will need to paint a positive view of the city she hopes to lead, said Sara Sadhwani, a professor of politics at Pomona College.

“She needs to able to spell out a vision for the city of Los Angeles and inspire confidence that she would be able to deliver on such a vision,” she said.

For Bass, it’s a different task entirely. The mayor was the top vote-getter in the June 2 primary, but numerous several polls now show her trailing. The Berkeley IGS / L.A. Times poll, conducted Sept. 15-20, showed Raman with an 11-point lead over the incumbent.

To gain ground, Bass needs to go on the attack and convince voters that Raman isn’t fit to lead, Schnur said.

“Bass needs to explain to voters why voting for a relatively unproven candidate would be a dangerous risk to take,” he said. “I’m curious if it will go down the road of the nasty,” Sadhwani said.
The debate, being conducted in partnership with Loyola Marymount University, will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be moderated by NBC4 news anchor Colleen Williams, NBC4 chief political reporter Conan Nolan and Telemundo 52 news anchor Alejandra Ortiz.

The Times will have live coverage.

An influencer digs in on Bass

Social media creator Ed Choi made headlines this week, posting and then removing an Instagram video showing him and Raman declaring in unison: “Only you can stop fascist liars.”

The pair used that phrase as an image of Bass appeared on the video. Raman, facing criticism for her words, said she was referring to Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, not the mayor or Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, and had asked for the video to be taken down.

Choi defended his messaging, saying in a subsequent Instagram video that Bass is in fact a fascist, pointing to to Bass’ decision to appoint McDonnell, a former L.A. County sheriff. He also cited the Los Angeles Police Department’s treatment of anti-ICE demonstrators as evidence that the city is “descending into fascism.

Raman voted in 2024 to support Bass’ selection of McDonnell, even as her fellow Democratic Socialists of America colleagues on the council cast opposed his appointment. On the campaign trail, she has repeatedly criticized McDonnell, saying the LAPD should not have used tear gas on anti-ICE protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.

Choi also claims in his video that Raman is committed to defunding the police. But Raman no longer supports that idea, saying in February that LAPD staffing should not get any smaller.

Banned word lawsuit

When the Los Angeles City Council considered banning the use of the N-word and C-word at its meetings last year, Stacey Segarra-Bohlinger was in attendance to give the politicians a piece of her mind.

“This is going to bring lawsuits,” said Segarra-Bohlinger, who often sings parody songs at council meetings and has been a member of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.

Segarra-Bohlinger filed suit Tuesday, represented by lawyers with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. The group contends that word bans — which can lead to people who use those words getting kicked out of meetings and potentially barred from future ones — violate First Amendment protections of free speech.

“The Council has weaponized the Word Ban and Meeting Ban to silence, remove, and prospectively exclude its critics,” asserts Segarra-Bohlinger’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Segarra-Bohlinger filed the suit after her repeated use of the C-word at two council meetings last year, once while singing a parody song of the Ghostbusters theme song in which she repeated the line “Council is afraid of the word c—” four times.

Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson is standing by the ban.

“In a moment of very serious attacks on our basic rights in this country, it’s especially absurd that some individuals would waste the court’s time defending the right of racists and misogynists to hurl invectives at the public simply to hear their own profanity,” he said in a statement to The Times.

State of play

—MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: Hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick dropped another $3 million into Estamos Con Nithya, the pro-Raman independent expenditure committee sponsored by Western States Regional Council of Carpenters. Sosnick, who has been pushing for an expansion of the city’s bike lane network, has now put $6 million into the committee.

— UNION KERFUFFLE: The LAPD’s officer union said Tuesday it will oppose Measure FD, the half-cent sales tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot pushed by the city firefighters’ union — setting up a bitter and expensive clash between two of the city’s most powerful unions.

— LEFT UNREAD: Citing lingering concerns about the potential misuse of police license plate readers, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to delay an agreement that would enable the deployment of hundreds of the controversial devices until officials are satisfied that the technology will be wielded responsibly.

— LAUSD WOES: The state’s school Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team concluded that the Los Angeles Unified School District is at “high risk” of insolvency — and needs to move quickly to avoid losing control over budget decisions.

— HIT THE SKIDS: Federal authorities along with local partners like LAPD made more than a dozen arrests on Skid Row during a massive drug trafficking crackdown in the troubled Downtown neighborhood.

— LAPD’S LEGAL BILLS: The city of Los Angeles has shelled out nearly $480 million over the last five and a half years to end legal disputes involving the Police Department, including claims of excessive force, litigation over traffic accidents and cases filed by employees who allegedly faced retaliation after reporting misconduct.

— POLLING UPDATE: New polling from the pro-Nithya Raman independent expenditure group that was conducted between Oct. 2 and Oct. 7 found that Raman is leading the mayor 43% to 33% with 23% undecided. The poll’s margin of error is 3.5%.

— A separate poll sponsored by the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112 and conducted between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5 found a tighter race, within the margin of error, with Raman leading 35% to 33% with 19% undecided. That poll’s margin of error was 4%.

— A third poll conducted for the Bass independent expenditure group Unidos con Bass of 602 likely Latino voters found the incumbent ahead by 12 points, 40% to 28% for Raman. The poll, conducted between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, has a margin of error was 4%. That’s a 36-point swing from a UC Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll from September that found Raman ahead with Latinos by 24 points, 45% to 21%.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program went to Councilmember Ysabel Jurado‘s district on Santa Fe Avenue and 23rd Street and moved 35 people indoors.
• On the docket next week: Bass and Raman will square off in a debate Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. on NBC4/KNBC and Telemundo 52/KVEA.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

“THIS can’t be it, can it?” I thought as I gazed up and down the road.

Instead of the ornate Athens streets I’d become used to, here were rundown second-hand electrical shops, smashed windows and crude graffiti.

I checked my phone map.

Sure enough, tucked beneath a battered cellar door, flush in the pavement, was the entrance to Diporto, one of the city’s best-kept culinary secrets.

Friends had tipped me off about this basement taverna in the Omonia district, serving real-deal Greek soul food and wine and, despite its dodgy entrance, it delivered in spades.

When most people think of Greek food, light salad dishes and dips spring to mind.

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But in the winter months, the menu transforms.

Out go the chilled dips, replaced by steaming pots of revithia (rich chickpea stew simmered with olive oil and lemon), piping-hot tomato and potato soups, grilled fish straight off the coals, and thick slabs of crusty sourdough.

Sitting next to massive vintage wine barrels, sipping house red from a metal jug, I was in food heaven.

Family-run bakery Feyrouz was another amazing spot secreted away down an alleyway, the heady scent of cumin, za’atar and toasted pine nuts wafting into the street.

Its signature street food includes lahmacun, a crispy spiced flatbread and peynirli, sourdough pasties stuffed with halloumi and spices.

It’s no wonder Time Out crowned Athens the most underrated winter city break in Europe.

With temperatures back in the UK plummeting, I was grateful for the relative warmth of 15C during my January trip.

Winter had clearly chased the tourists away.

Gone were the packed market streets and endless crowds.

I was free to roam around the Acropolis unfettered by the masses that gather in the summer heat and able to really appreciate just how awesome a spot it truly is.

The columns of the Parthenon rise almost 50ft while the view from the hill it stands on is spectacular.

Without the summer heat haze, the crisp sunshine reveals Mount Lycabettus towering next to it and the Aegean Sea visible behind the urban sprawl that lies at its base.

Thousands of years on, this ancient wonder hasn’t lost its magic.

Such remains are commonplace throughout Athens, with Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Olympian Zeus just some of the amazing ancient spots you find yourself wandering around, just a stone’s throw from the city centre.

Even in January, cafe culture is alive and kicking.

Wrapped in fleece blankets, locals huddle under outdoor patio heaters, sipping hot rakomelo (honeyed spiced brandy) in the historic Plaka quarter.

I climbed Mars Hill to catch the sunset over the city — an experience that’s usually a shoulder-to-shoulder fight in July, but in winter felt like my own private viewing platform.

What’s more, hotels are far cheaper in the winter, the lack of demand stretching your money much further than in the busier months.

This gave me the opportunity to try out a hotel chain I’d never used before and I was once again pleasantly surprised.

Bob W, which stands for “best of both worlds”, markets itself as somewhere between a local homestay and a lifestyle hotel.

They team up with nearby restaurants and cafes to bring locally produced food to your door in the morning for breakfast, while partnerships with local gyms mean guests have access included in the price of their stay, as well as the chance to join in with yoga classes and other sessions.

For just £40 a night at Bob W Akadimia, I had a sizeable design-conscious modern apartment, complete with a comfy double bed, living room area, huge bathroom with rainfall shower and a kitchenette.

It’s very tech forward — with check-in and even access to your room done via mobile phone — and all apartments feature high-speed wifi and smart TVs.

I would definitely recommend spending a night or two with Bob, much as I would visiting Athens for a little winter break.

Its combination of hearty winter stews, incredible archaeology, warmer weather and quiet, tourist-free streets means you can have a wonderful time getting to know the city properly before the summer rush transforms it into almost a different place.

Mikel Arteta says his conscience is clear over Manchester City’s Premier League rule breaches during a period when he was assistant manager at the club.

The Arsenal boss worked under Pep Guardiola between 2016 and 2019, which overlapped with the nine seasons during which City have been found to have broken rules and disguised secret funding of more than £830m.

In his first news conference since the ruling – which the club has appealed – Arteta attempted to bat away questions, saying he wanted to “respect” the ongoing process.

However, towards the end of more than half an hour of questioning, he was asked: “You were at City for three and a half years, is your conscience clear? You had a senior position there, is your conscience clear?”

Arteta answered: “Yes”.

His answer was one word, but it was arguably the most revealing part of the whole interaction.

It was the only occasion where the Spaniard did not in some way revert to his messaging about not giving opinions on the case until such a time as there is a resolution.

Arteta was at no point combative, but it was clear he arrived at Arsenal‘s training ground with a response he was determined to stick to.

Asked if he had spoken to Guardiola, he added: “I prefer not to answer those questions.”

Arteta was asked for his reaction to the damning report from the independent commission, which found City had arranged “sham contracts” with a number of commercial partners to disguise earnings.

He said: “I fully understand the question, but obviously I think it’s very important that we respect the process, the timelines, and it’s still an ongoing process that is not resolved because it’s been appealed.

“My position, and I think the club’s position, is not to make any further comments until this is fully resolved.”

When asked if he thought, that to preserve the integrity of the Premier League, the appeal and sanction needed to be resolved this season, he replied: “The people are responsible to manage this process and to come to the right conclusions and I’m sure it will be done and it will be resolved in the right way. We have to trust that.”

Arteta also added he “100%” believed the Premier League remains the best in the world.

Arsenal, who sit three points behind league leaders City, face fifth-placed Leeds on Saturday at Emirates Stadium.

The Portuguese computer hacker who released documents which helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City will remain in witness protection after authorities in the country suspended the decision to end it.

Football Leaks founder Rui Pinto had been scheduled to leave the protection programme on Saturday, a ruling he previously said had put him in a “life-threatening situation”.

Pinto, 37, disclosed a tranche of confidential football documents, including emails and financial records relating to the English Premier League side.

In 2018, he shared documents with German magazine Der Spiegel, which used them for investigations into City’s finances and alleged breaches of financial fair play rules.

City were recently found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. They have appealed against the decision.

Pinto became part of Portugal’s witness protection programme in 2020 after agreeing to co-operate with authorities and provide information obtained through the Football Leaks operation.

However, in a statement on Friday,, external Portugal’s Ministry of Justice said a decision to remove Pinto from witness protection had been reversed for the time being, with the body responsible for it – the special security programmes commission – having not adequately “notified” Pinto of grounds for its termination or given him the opportunity to challenge the decision.

Pinto will now be given 10 days to assess a risk assessment conducted by the special security programmes commission that indicates a low threat to his safety.

He posted on X, external thanking Portugal’s Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcao Judice and saying the commission’s initial decision had clearly violated the law and amounted to a “manifest abuse of power”.

Pinto has described himself as a whistleblower, but was convicted in Portugal of offences including illegal access to data and attempted extortion and given a four-year suspended sentence.

He wore a bulletproof vest during his first trial in 2020, which was also subject to heightened security measures.

Earlier this year, he was acquitted of 241 counts of illegally accessing email accounts belonging to a number of sports bodies in Portugal, including Benfica.

Melanie Marx bought Angel City season tickets before the team was a team. It had no players, no coach and no uniform. It was more a concept than a reality and Marx bought in.

“I’ve always had pride for this team.” she said. “This was the first team from the NWSL that I’ve been able to say that I’m a supporter for.”

Yet supporting Angel City, she says, has been as exhausting as it has been exciting. Once the most valuable women’s professional sports team in history, Angel City has had one winning season and made just one playoff appearance in its first four seasons.

Attendance declined more than 22%, high-profile players such as Alyssa Thompson, Christen Press, Ali Riley and Madison Hammond have either been transferred away, retired or been allowed to leave and the team hasn’t re-signed popular captain Sarah Gorden for next season. At the same time, it has gone through five coaches and three general managers/sporting directors in less than five years.

Angel City defender Gisele Thompson celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

That’s not exactly what Marx signed up for.

“I’m upset as a fan, of course, and I’m upset as a season-ticket holder,” she said. “But I’m also upset as a fan of these players and someone who’s been invested in this league of almost 10 years.”

“What keeps myself and others coming back week to week is because of the players themselves,” she added. “Because the results on the pitch haven’t always matched the ambitions of the supporters.”

During the past three months, that support has finally been rewarded. Following Sunday’s draw with first-place Gotham FC, the reigning NWSL champion, Angel City (12-8-7) heads into the league’s two-week international break riding a seven-game unbeaten streak and is in sixth place in the 16-team table, in position for another playoff berth.

The team has lost just twice in 16 games under interim coach Leif Gunnar Smerud. Its 12 victories with three games to play is already a franchise record for a single season, as are its 45 goals. After posting a substantial negative goal differential in its first four seasons, Angel City’s plus-16 mark this year in best in the league.

And in the current international break, the team had a record nine players called up to various national teams. It’s one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NWSL history, one that may have saved at least a portion of the team’s most loyal fan base.

“My renewal for next year just recently came up and I was on a bit of knife’s edge deciding whether I want to go ahead,” said Michael Jaeger, an attorney who has had multiple Angel City season tickets in section 133 since the first season. “There have been consistent problems throughout.

“I really want the team to succeed. Given the recent successes, I did go ahead and re-up for next year because I’m feeling optimistic.”

Optimistic but not necessarily confident.

“I am not feeling like ‘OK, this is what I’ve been waiting for. The team’s really turned a corner,’” Jaeger said. “That to me would be success on the field, plus a decision about Sarah Gorden, plus [a] permanent head coach who we know is at least going to have one or more seasons to have things play out.

“So I don’t think we’re there yet. I like the current trend but because not a lot has necessarily changed about the front office, I’m not ready to say ‘OK, we’re fully on the right track.’”

Angel City has only itself to blame for that lack of trust. When the team launched with a massive ownership group that included Hollywood A-listers, former U.S. women’s national team stars and sports luminaries including Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, it promised to ignite a revolution in women’s sports.

Angel City FC fans chant during a match against the San Diego Wave at BMO Stadium on May 9.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

“We’re not just building a soccer club. We want to build an organization that has impact,” said Julie Uhrman, one of its team’s three founding owners.

And while Angel City has done real, meaningful work in the community, providing millions of meals to the hungry, funneling millions of dollars into community programs and taking a courageous stand against ICE raids across Southern California, as a soccer team it hasn’t delivered on its promises.

The loyal fans blame the front office, which has waived nearly six dozens players and five managers, including interim coaches, through its revolving doors since the first season. Mark Parsons, who won six trophies as manager with the Portland Thorns, was hired 20 months ago to stabilize things but his highly touted global search for a coach ended with Alexander Straus spending just a year with the club — going 7-15-5 in parts of two seasons — while Parsons unsettled the roster by making more than 40 transactions.

“There’s just a lack of trust in the front office frankly,” said Nadia Johnson, who attended games every season but didn’t buy season tickets until this year. “We’re still doing these chaotic things, which is really frustrating as a fan.”

And the chaos may not be ending anytime soon. Despite his success, Smerud has not publicly been guaranteed anything beyond this season; officially, the team is still searching for a new manager.

Gorden, the captain and anchor of the defense, is out of contract at the end of the season as is veteran Claire Emslie. Meanwhile Sydney Leroux, 36, who has played one minute the past two seasons as she deals with mental health issues, is signed through 2027.

At the same time, Parsons has built the league’s youngest roster around players whose performances are bigger than their names. Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, 25, is third in the league with nine clean sheets and 12 wins. Brazilian Maiara Niehues, 22, already has a franchise-record nine goals while Evelyn Shores, 21, has tied the single-season record with seven assists and defender Gisele Thompson, Alyssa’s sister, leads all outfield players with 2,420 minutes.

“I am excited about how diverse our team is and really how they’ve grown,” season ticket-holder Johnson said. “It’s playoff crunch time and so it’s always exciting, especially when your team is in it. So I’m excited to see where they go.”

But after four seasons of mediocrity and worse, however, she’s learned to keep her fingers crossed.

“I’m not confident if we get a rough patch next year what decisions will be made in terms of trying to repair that,” she said. “So yeah, that’s where I’m at.”

After Manchester City were found guilty of Premier League breaches, rival managers give their reaction as games resume.

The Premier League returns to action this weekend following the international football break, and since a ball was last kicked domestically in the English top flight, a seismic shock was sent around the world by the guilty verdict faced by Manchester City.

An independent commission found the team guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018.

City have continued to protest their innocence and have lodged an appeal, but if the decision is upheld, then points deductions, fines, transfer embargoes and relegation are all possible punishments for the club.

City manager Enzo Maresca has said he believes the appeal will be won, and none of the trophies claimed since the period the charges began are tainted.

Al Jazeera Sport has collated the reaction of some of the managers, who were all speaking publicly for the first time since the verdict, starting with the club City face next when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday.

Liverpool manager – Andoni Iraola

“I think uncertainty is not good for anyone, and anyone involved, but the process ‌is ‌ongoing, and we have to be patient like everyone else and see what happens at the end,” Iraola said.

Manchester United manager – Michael Carrick

“I’ve got my own questions about it; it’s affected me personally in different ways over a period of time,” said the former United midfielder, who finished second to City as both a player and assistant manager since the 2008 Abu Dhabi takeover.

“What I will say, the sooner it gets sorted for everyone’s benefit is essential.

“There’s so many angles to look at, from so many different perspectives, but really speed is essential for everyone to be clear, to be able to deal with it, to be able to move on whatever happens.

“It’s unprecedented, a unique situation to be in, at this level with such a huge impact in so many ways.”

Arsenal manager – Mikel Arteta

“It is very important that we respect the process and the timelines; it is still an ongoing process because it has been appealed,” said the Spaniard, who was assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at City from 2015-2019.

“My position, and I think the club’s position, is to not make any comment until the appeal is fully resolved.

“In our hands is the way we have prepared since the international break to set the club up to win.”

Everton manager – David Moyes

“It looks terrible that Everton have been docked points and had to pay fines, and this was not so long ago, but there are other things going on that were more than 10 years ago and have not been dealt, which I find really difficult,” Moyes said in relation to the sanctions Everton faced, including being docked 10 points. Their charges related to breaches of financial sustainability rules between 2019 and 2022.

“I hope it is not just Everton that are being picked on. Manchester City have helped raise the level of the Premier League by the football they have played, their manager and the players they have had.

“We all had to park the bus, because they were that good and everybody used to say: ‘Why are you not having a go?’ – it was tough.

“But they were such a good side, and it was great times to play against Pep’s teams because they had so many good players.”

Chelsea manager – Xavi Alonso

“We need to be patient and wait until the final sanctions from the panel; they are independent enough to assess the situation,” Alonso said.

“Whatever I say and whatever opinion we have, they are the ones to take it, and we need to respect it.

“It is not in our hands; let’s see what happens, and then we need to respect it.”

Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola looks to Manchester City clash and rival’s appeal over guilty verdict for financial breaches.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said the lack of clarity over Manchester City’s future after the club was found guilty of multiple breaches of financial rules was causing uncertainty throughout the Premier League.

City remain adamant they have done no wrong and have appealed against the findings of an independent commission announced last week.

The Premier League leaders potentially face a severe points deduction that threatens their place in the English top flight.

Iraola believes the world’s richest league is caught in limbo until there is a definitive outcome.

“I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen,” the Spaniard said ahead of City’s first outing since the verdict at Liverpool on Sunday.

“But we have to focus on Liverpool – be the best club we can be, the best team we can be and that’s my challenge.”

Iraola only joined the Reds in June but is looking forward to a red-hot atmosphere at home.

“The atmosphere is going to be big, especially at Anfield,” he said.

“We want to give also our supporters reasons to be with us. When they see the team they want to see on the pitch, we can create an even better atmosphere and we will work for that.”

Liverpool are still unbeaten under Iraola, but three draws in their opening five league games means they start the weekend six points off the top.

Iraola’s options up front are limited after Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo were injured on international duty.

“As a club manager, you are always waiting until the game ends (hoping) the doctor doesn’t call you, doesn’t give you bad news, but in this case we’ve been unlucky with Alex and Cody, both of them,” he said.

“They are injured and they are not going to be involved on Sunday.”

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca says the club’s titles are “absolutely not” tainted after they were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.

Maresca reiterated his faith in the club’s owners and belief that they will win their appeal against the verdict during a news conference on Friday dominated by questions on the matter.

The Italian, notably relaxed as he offered his responses, rejected the suggestion City’s titles have been tainted by the ruling, as he knows “exactly the effort that the club put in to achieve” them.

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

The club have appealed against the verdict and claimed in a statement the commission’s ruling contained “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe”.

Preparing to play their first match since that verdict was announced, away to rivals Liverpool on Sunday, Maresca said in an in-house interview on Thursday the “feeling is fantastic” among his players and they are not affected by “the noise” surrounding the club.

He added on Friday: “The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. So I don’t have doubt about that.

“I spoke with the club for sure. We all trust, and probably the right moment to speak about that is when we are going to win this appeal.”

He added: “For me, the players – we can control just the pitch side, the football side. So we are focused on that. This is what we can do and what we can control.”

The LAPD’s legal bills keep piling up.

The city of Los Angeles has shelled out nearly $480 million over the last five and a half years to end legal disputes involving the Police Department, including claims of excessive force, litigation over traffic accidents and cases filed by employees who allegedly faced retaliation after reporting misconduct.

The soaring legal costs have come under greater scrutiny in recent years as Los Angeles’ financial problems have gotten worse. The city faced a $1-billion budget shortfall in 2025 but, after various cost-cutting measures, managed to set aside funding for the LAPD to hire more than 500 new officers in the coming year.

The LAPD’s annual lawsuit costs more than doubled from 2019 to 2025. The payouts peaked in 2024, when the city spent $178.6 million to resolve more than 300 police-related lawsuits and civil claims, before dropping to just over $100 million in 2025, according to a Times analysis of city attorney’s data.

The Times reviewed hundreds of pages of court documents and analyzed data from the city attorney’s office released through a public records request showing nearly 2,000 payouts dating to January 2019.

Through the first six months of this year, the city has paid out $20.3 million in legal settlements and court judgments involving LAPD officers. Several recent big-dollar verdicts aren’t included in that tally because they hadn’t yet been approved by the City Council.

The surging cost of LAPD payouts depriving the cash-strapped city of money for pressing needs such as fixing roads and sidewalks, according to City Controller Kenneth Mejia.

“There’s a reason why your streetlights are out and they’re not fixed for a year, there’s a reason why your sidewalk won’t get fixed or your animal shelters are understaffed or underfunded,” said Mejia, whose office is conducting an audit of the city’s risk management strategies, the results of which will be released this year.

Experts are still untangling the reasons for the explosion of legal payouts involving police — which stretches far beyond L.A.

This year, a legal defense organization found that New York City has paid more than $796 million since 2019 to settle lawsuits involving accusations of police misconduct — including $117 million in 2025. In Chicago, the city is on track to blow past the $252 million spent last year to resolve police lawsuits, mostly involving plaintiffs who went to prison based on faulty evidence, according to local news reports.

In Los Angeles, the surge has come under the watch of City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, who has blamed the rising costs on the way the office handled litigation of all kinds before her administration — as well as a national legal trend of so-called nuclear verdicts.

“The system is getting inflated in a way that is unhealthy and it creates, I think, incentives to sue and to do pie-in-the-sky settlements,” Feldstein Soto said in interview with The Times earlier this year. She said her office evaluates each claim case by case, deciding when it makes more sense to settle rather than go to trial, at which juries can issue decisions based on emotion or differing perceptions of what occurred. Feldstein Soto has lobbied for years to change state law to limit “non-economic” damages.

Feldstein Soto’s critics contend that she has pursued a hard-line approach in recent years, refusing to settle except in cases where it is clear the city is likely to lose in court.

That tough stance has led to mixed results. The city has lost some jury verdicts that could have been avoided if it had been willing to settle. It has also prevailed in several high-profile cases, including this year when a jury ruled that an officer was not liable for the 2021 death of a 14-year-old girl killed by a wayward bullet fired during a hasty confrontation with a suspect at a North Hollywood department store.

The city attorney’s office said in a statement to The Times that while it is proactively working to curb rising litigation costs “by every means possible,” it could not “control the number, timing or claimed damages of lawsuits filed against the City.”

“Nor does the Office have control over the alleged root causes of these liabilities: the City Attorney’s Office is not responsible for LAPD policies or personnel,” said the statement, adding that the number of lawsuits filed against the city has risen by roughly 20% in each of the last four budget years, straining the office’s resources.

Zachary Powell, an associate professor of criminal justice at Cal State San Bernardino, said that although data suggest that use of force by police has decreased since 2020, the public has become “much more aware of police abuses and conduct than they ever were before.”

“I think people also ask a lot more questions in a jury setting,” he said.

Other explanations, he says, are the passage of statewide police accountability measures and the fact that a backlog of cases from the pandemic years are finally coming due.

The Times’ analysis found that hundreds of legal battles involving officer-involved traffic incidents make up nearly a quarter of all payouts. Since 2019, the city has paid $125 million for the thousands of accident claims, just under a third of which stemmed from cases in which officers were found to have failed to stop or yield at crossings before crashing into another vehicle or a pedestrian. Pursuit-related claims and suits stemming from cases in which officers made improper left turns have also cost the city millions.

Other legal costs date back years — and in some cases decades.

The city is still paying $7,410 a month to Clarence Chance, who in the early 1990s was awarded a large payment over a wrongful arrest that led him to spend 17 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Nearly $40 million has gone to people whose homes were damaged after the LAPD bomb squad botched the detonation of seized fireworks and leveled part of a city block in 2021.

One of the biggest payout categories was $104.6 million spent since 2019 on claims related to police shootings — more than three-fourths of which involved people who were reported to be under the influence of a substance or in the midst of a mental health crisis, according to The Times’ analysis. Roughly $38.4 million was paid out after police shot someone wielding an edged weapon, such as a knife, the analysis found. Shootings involving gang officers cost the city nearly $4 million in that span.

Dozens of lawsuits remain pending, including claims related to the handling of mass pro-immigration protests since last year, likely putting taxpayers on the hook for more large payouts in the future. Police use of hard foam projectiles, house-mounted officers and other tactics against crowds have already cost the city at least $22 million in the last seven and a half years — just over half of which stemmed from the department’s response to the 2020 mass protests over the murder of George Floyd.

Such totals may not always include lawyer fees that are negotiated after a settlement is reached — or if a case is appealed.

Jonathan Evans, a civil rights attorney who has sued the department, thinks the big payouts show that greater public awareness of mental health issues is a factor. Recognizing this, he said, municipalities are agreeing to higher settlements than in years past.

“The decision to use lethal force is being more heavily scrutinized,” he said.

Tens of millions of city dollars have in recent years gone to disgruntled police officers who sued over workplace injustices such as sexual harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation. Since 2019, at least 27 LAPD employees have won million-dollar-plus jury verdicts or settlements from the city; many more have seen five- or six-figure paydays.

To clamp down on future legal costs, the department last year brought back a former senior official, Arif Alikhan — at a monthly salary of $20,000, paid for by a private donation — to study how to reduce the number of costly lawsuits. Alikhan did not respond to a call requesting comment.

The department maintains an early intervention system that flags officers based on risk factors, such as a relatively high volume of civilian complaints, frequent use force, and involvement in preventable traffic collisions or pursuits. The system is used to determine whether they need additional training or should be reassigned or placed on a performance improvement plan.

Within the LAPD, some officers and the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the rank-and-file union, argue that the city should fight back harder against claims with no credibility, instead of settling. They say officers who are most often sued tend to come from specialized units that do the type of proactive policing that the department and most of of the public wants: targeting gangs, drugs and guns.

Attorneys who represent officers that have sued the department over whistleblower retaliation dismiss the claim by Chief Jim McDonnell and others that some cops are exaggerating their claims in pursuit of a big payday. If anything, they contend, the continued large payouts are a product of entrenched racial and gender bias and inconsistent discipline — and the LAPD’s unwillingness to learn its lessons from past lawsuits.

Greg Yacoubian, a labor attorney, said there is little incentive for the current system to change because the costs of lawsuits are passed on to taxpayers — not the officers involved in misconduct and their bosses.

“The person responsible for the error never feels the pinch,” Yacoubian said.

Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.

If I ever need to humble myself — if my head inflates with grand visions of becoming the next Steve Lopez or Bill Plaschke — I pull up the transcript of the secret recording that upended Los Angeles politics after The Times broke the story exactly four years ago.

It’s like a modern-day version of “Ozymandias,” except far more vulgar, nowhere near as poetic and a better warning against hubris than anything Shelley could have penned.

“The thing for us is to exercise our power,” said then-City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, about halfway through an hourlong conversation he was having with three of the city’s most powerful political figures.

Oh, did they ever — and nowhere near the way they intended.

Nury Martinez and Ron Herrera, the president of the City Council and head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, respectively, quickly resigned for their roles in the racist, homophobic drivel on the recording. Cedillo — who was finishing out his term — and Councilmember Kevin de León refused to step down, besmirching their well-earned reputations as progressive lions.

The L.A. they sought to create — where Latinos ascend at the expense of the Black community, and anyone who gets in the way is crushed — never came to be. And the recording that exposed their machinations ultimately destroyed the type of ethnic politicking that made the careers of too many self-serving power grabbers, including this quartet.

The transcript of their back-and-forth now reads as prophecy — and we’re far better for it.

Much of the discussion, which happened in October 2021 at the headquarters of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, was devoted to whining that L.A.’s Latino-majority council districts, and some cities elsewhere in the county, were represented by Black leaders instead of Latinos, even as Latino residents far outnumbered Black ones.

“F—, the way I see it, all of the seats are Latino,” said Herrera, who hailed the rise of a “little Latino caucus of our … own” that he felt should reign permanently.

He and the others predicted a future in which vengeful Black politicians would try to sabotage future Latino leaders on their way out of office, creating “poor Latino districts with nothing,” as Martinez put it.

She was referring to redistricting proposals that would chop off assets like the Coliseum and Exposition Park from South L.A.’s District 9 — the most Latino district in the city, represented by a Black council member, Curren Price.

“So they f— a future Latino for CD 9,” De León whined. “That’s how arrogant, just how arrogant it is.”

That’s not what ended up happening.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León at a council meeting in December 2022 after a two-month absence following his role in that year’s audio leak scandal.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

District 9 didn’t lose any assets. Black leaders saw the writing on the wall and didn’t run a serious Black candidate to replace the termed-out Price this year. That created space for two Latinos — Estuardo Mazariegos and Jose Ugarte — to make it to the general election. No matter which candidate wins in November, the City Council will have fewer than three Black members for the first time in 63 years.

Both Mazariegos and Ugarte say that the anti-Black scheming of the audio leak villains inspired them to run campaigns focusing on Black and Latino residents as one constituency, reflecting how life is actually lived in South L.A., not how Latinos from elsewhere in the city imagine it to be.

Mazariegos attended the first City Council meeting after The Times dropped the audio leak bombshell in October 2022. He remembers Cedillo peeking at the angry audience and temporarily returning to the council’s back room.

“No community should have to lose power for another to gain it,” said Mazariegos, who would become the first Central American immigrant to serve on the council if he were to win. “Our power grows when we build it together.”

Ugarte, formerly one of Price’s top aides, agreed. He argued that the best way to lead in South L.A. as a Latino council member is “with respect for those who came before us, the humility to listen to those doing the work today, and the understanding that District 9 is strongest when [Black and Latino residents] move forward together.”

Born in Oaxaca, Ugarte would become L.A.’s first Indigenous council member if he wins. That would be a rich coda to the audio leak, considering that Oaxacans received some of the nastiest insults. Martinez described them as “ little short dark people” who were feos — ugly. Cedillo joked that they were “little ones,” while Herrera cracked that they were “indios.”

Who’s laughing now?

The Feos Four also spent time kvetching about Nithya Raman, who was finishing her first year on the council. In 2020, she had upset an incumbent to become the first democratic socialist council member.

At the time of the recording, rivals were trying to diminish Raman’s power by drawing boundaries that would put her district “in the blender and chop [it] up, left and right,” as De León described it.

“She’s not our ally,” Cedillo said. “She’s not going to help us. Her district is not a district we can count on.”

Give credit to Cedillo and his pendejo pals: They were already seeing Raman and other democratic socialists as an emerging force, even while downplaying the DSA’s chances. De León said that Raman’s politics were “about just her as an individual.” Herrera dismissed Hugo Soto-Martínez, then a no-name union organizer aiming to unseat Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, as a “kid.” Nury Martinez blithely mispronounced Eunisses Hernandez’s name while cackling about the first-time candidate’s challenge to Cedillo.

If Cedillo and De León weren’t so convinced of their own political immortality, they could have helped check the DSA’s rise that has so vexed L.A.’s liberal leaders. Instead, Hernandez beat Cedillo in a shocking upset in 2022, while Soto-Martínez won in the fall. And fellow democratic socialist Ysabel Jurado took out De León in 2024. Those triumphs paved the path for DSA-LA-backed candidate Marissa Roy to make a strong run for city attorney this year. Mazariegos is also endorsed by DSA-LA, which is backing Raman for mayor against incumbent Karen Bass.

Then-Councilmember Gil Cedillo at the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022, two days after the release of explosive audio involving him led to protesters demanding his resignation.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The group should send Cedillo and De León bouquets of red roses as gracias for assisting their ascendancy. All of us owe the foursome a thanks for hastening the demise of the old Latino political machines that birthed them and kept the city stuck in tribalism for too long.

Now, Latino politicians must run on their bona fides for all Angelenos, instead of just their latinidad. Soto-Martínez and Hernandez won reelection outright in the June primary because their constituents appreciated their sewer socialism approach, focusing on quality of life issues instead of ideological revolution. Meanwhile, Chicanosauruses are wheezing with diminished power as they urge Latinos to back Bass. The message doesn’t seem to be landing: A recent Berkeley IGS/Times poll found that 45% of Latino voters favored Raman to Bass’ 21%, with 34% undecided.

Gone are the days when Latino voters blindly believed Latino leaders. Why bother, after Martinez and her crew proved the folly of ethnic politics?

Near the start of the recording, Martinez complained that voters and the media always seemed to forgive Black politicians caught up in scandal, while Latinos didn’t get the same treatment.

“They’re never done,” she complained. “They never close a chapter on us.”

L.A. did close the chapter. Now, the Feos Four’s only legacy is “that colossal wreck” of their conversation, to quote the finale of “Ozymandias,” left to rot forever.

Gaza City – More than 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since Israel launched its war on the besieged enclave in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, turning whole neighbourhoods into rubble and wiping out much of its infrastructure.

For generations, Gaza’s streets, markets, schools, hospitals and public spaces formed the backdrop to everyday life. They were places where people worked, studied, shopped, met friends and family, and built memories.

Many of the city’s familiar landmarks also carried a much longer history, reflecting Gaza’s thousands of years as a crossroads of different civilisations.

The war has also changed the face of Gaza by damaging or destroying many of those historic and recognisable landmarks.

UNESCO has verified damage to 164 cultural sites since October 2023, including 128 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 14 religious sites, nine monuments, eight archaeological sites, two museums and three depositories of movable cultural property.

Among them are the Great Omari Mosque, Gaza’s oldest mosque, Qasr al-Basha, the ancient Samaritan Bathhouse, al-Qissariya Market and the Church of Saint Porphyrius complex.

Some of these places have been reduced to ruins, while others remain standing but heavily damaged. The destruction has altered not only individual buildings but the streets and neighbourhoods around them, removing landmarks that once helped people recognise and navigate their city.

This photo series contrasts archive images of some of Gaza’s most recognisable streets, markets and public buildings with new photographs taken three years into the war, showing how these familiar places have changed after years of bombardment and destruction.

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca says the “feeling is fantastic” among his players and they “don’t care too much about the noise” surrounding the club after it was found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against it by the Premier League.

The club’s international players returned to training on Thursday, nine days after the Premier League published a damning report that stated the club had used “sham” contracts to disguise secret funding of more than £830m.

BBC Sport reported this week that Maresca would address the players upon their return to domestic duty after news of the verdict broke while the majority of the squad were away with their respective nations.

It is understood the City head coach asked his players not to allow the crisis that has engulfed the club to affect their attitude and focus as the Premier League campaign gets back under way this weekend.

“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest,” Maresca said in an in-house interview when asked about the mood among his squad prior to their trip to face Liverpool on Sunday (16:30 BST).

“The players are excited for the next two games. But especially they are excited because in this moment we are top of the league. The players are just focused on that.

“They know what we can control is the football side – they are not worried at all about different things.

“They know their profession and they know that the noise is there, but they don’t care too much about the noise. They are just focused in this moment on how we can beat Liverpool and how, together with the fans, we can try to win in Anfield.”

Maresca added he felt “calm” and his squad trusts the club “completely”.

City have launched an appeal and have publicly maintained their innocence.

The private communication to those with links to the playing staff at City has been equally as emphatic, it is understood.

Speaking to Sky Sports, striker Erling Haaland echoed his manager’s sentiments, saying: “I care a lot about this place. I spent my first four years here, it’s a special place for us. I care a lot about City and the fans. I am a fan myself. I feel with them.

“The fans will have a good time on Sunday – we have to stick together. We have to stay with each other and stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to smile. Stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and enjoy the situation.

“We have to stick together and spread the love to each other. Enjoy the ride and smile.”

Jose Mourinho, one of most outspoken against Man City spending when United manager, jibes EPL appeal to outlast him.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho joked that he may not live to see the end of Manchester City’s legal battle with the Premier League after the club appealed against a ruling that found it guilty of serious financial rule breaches.

An independent commission found City guilty of all charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, as well as three of four charges relating to failures to cooperate with the investigation. City have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal.

The Premier League said that City used “sham” commercial agreements to inflate revenue and understate costs by more than 900 million pounds ($1.19bn) over nearly a decade, resulting in inaccurate financial reporting and breaches of spending rules.

Mourinho managed Manchester United from 2016 to 2018 and led them to a second-placed Premier League finish behind Pep Guardiola’s City in 2017-18.

“I would rather laugh about it,” Mourinho said when asked about the case in an interview with Italy’s Corriere dello Sport.

“I think we will eventually get an ending, but we are both in our 60s, and we’ll need to be lucky enough to still be around when the final verdict arrives.

“There will be a verdict, then appeals, then more appeals.”

Mourinho has long maintained that one of his greatest achievements in football management was finishing second behind Guardiola’s side, given their spending power at the time.

The Portuguese manager, now 63, said in 2024 that he had not given up on being awarded a winner’s medal for the 2018 season.

“I think we still have a chance to win that league because maybe they punish Man City with points and maybe we win that league,” he quipped at a press conference ahead of a Europa League match against United with his then-club, Fenerbahce.

“Then they have to pay me the bonus and give me the medal.”

The appeal process will be conducted in private, and it remains unclear whether any sanctions would be imposed before it is heard, or whether any punishment would take effect immediately.

City, seeking a sixth successive league win, are top of the Premier League with 15 points from five matches and travel to Liverpool on Sunday.

Holders Arsenal entertain Leeds on Saturday, while United host Tottenham later the same day.

Mourinho’s Real Madrid trail fierce rivals and La Liga leaders Barcelona by six points, with five wins and two defeats from their seven league matches this season.

Both Barca and Real are in action on Saturday, with Getafe and Villarreal visiting, respectively.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca claims players unfazed by financial breaches verdict ahead of Liverpool showdown.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has brushed off the guilty verdict hanging over the club and says he and the players are fully focused on football matters.

City could face a severe points penalty and even expulsion from the Premier League after an independent commission found they used “sham” commercial contracts to inflate revenue and cut costs by over 900 million pounds ($1.2bn) between 2009 and 2018.

City, who top the league with five wins in five games, return to action for the first time since the guilty verdict was revealed when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday.

The eight-time Premier League winners, who have appealed the decision, then play their first game in front of their own fans since the verdict, when they entertain back-to-back Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

“I am very calm, the club has been quite calm. We trust completely the club,” Maresca told City’s in-house media on Thursday.

“We understand the noise, but the focus for us is what we control and we control the football side.

“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest.”

Maresca, who was assistant to former manager Pep Guardiola during the 2022-2023 season, addressed the players for the first time since the verdict when they returned to training on Thursday following the international break.

When asked about the reaction of the squad – many of whom have been linked with a move away from City if the club’s appeal fails – Maresca said they were “excited” given their start to the season.

“The players are excited for the next two games, but especially they are excited because in this moment, we are top of the league, so the players they are just focused ‌‌on that,” he said.

“They know that what we can control is the football side. They are not worried at all about different things. They know they are professionals.

“They know that the noise is there, but they don’t care too much about the noise.

“They are just focused on this moment, how we can beat Liverpool, how we can, together with the fans, try to win at Anfield.”

As part of City’s appeal against the decision they have continued to maintain their innocence, saying the independent commission’s opinion contains “clear material errors” and that they possess evidence supporting their position.

The commission also found the ⁠⁠club guilty of charges relating to their failure to cooperate with the investigation.

Premier League holders Arsenal begin the weekend’s action in the top flight on Saturday when they entertain Leeds United with the chance to move level on points with City, who would then hold Sunday’s game in hand.

Erling Haaland calls on Man City to unit as Premier League club appeals more than 100 charges of wrongdoing.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland says the Premier League club must ‘stick together’ following the guilty verdict delivered on more than 100 charges for financial breaches.

The league leaders head to Liverpool on Sunday ⁠⁠for their first game since an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules over nine years, as well as charges relating to their failure to co-operate with the investigation.

City have insisted they are innocent of all charges and have appealed the decision. Should the verdict be upheld, City could face relegation, points deductions and fines.

“We are going to have a good time [on Sunday]. We have to stick together, we have to stay positive. We have to look ahead and try to win football games,” Haaland told the United Kingdom broadcaster Sky Sports.

“No matter what happens in life we always have to have a smile.”

“We have to enjoy the situation. We have to spread the love to each other, stick together, enjoy the ride and smile.”

Haaland welcomes Liverpool test for Manchester City

City have won all five of their matches in the Premier League this season and are three points clear of last season’s champions, Arsenal.

Liverpool are sixth in the league and six points behind City, after a mixed start for their new manager Andoni Iraola. The joint record Premier League winners, with 20 titles alongside Manchester United, are, however, undefeated.

The Reds will also be buoyed by what is expected to be an even more vociferous support than usual at their Anfield home.

During the period that Manchester City were investigated, 2009-2018, Liverpool finished second by two points behind City.

Under the management of Jurgen Klopp, they also twice finished just a point behind Pep Guardiola’s City in subsequent years.

The allegation from rival fans is that City’s financial wrongdoing was tantamount to cheating and gave the club a significant advantage during that time and the seasons that have followed the period in question.

With that, Anfield is expected to deliver an angry and hostile reception for the current City squad, but Haaland, who played with Molde, Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund before joining City, says the game itself is always a big occasion.

“It is always special to play against Liverpool,” Haaland continued.

“Especially with Pep and Klopp, I remember sitting in Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund watching the games and how much they pushed each other.

“It is always special to play a game there. Every game against Liverpool is special.”

What does the future hold for Haaland and Man City?

Haaland was born in England, while his father – Alf-Inge Haaland – was a player in the Premier League for City and Leeds United.

The 26-year-old Norwegian international has, alongside the majority of City’s squad, been heavily linked with a move away from the club, should they be relegated.

In the meantime, Haaland was keen to stress what the club means to him and his family.

“I care a lot about this place. I spent my first four years here. It is a special place for us [his family],” Haaland added.

“I care a lot about City and the fans, I am a fan myself and I feel with them.”