Richie Duchon

By all accounts, 2011 was a breakout year for Andrea Alarcon that saw her star rise high over L.A.'s political scene. Under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's wing, the 33-year-old Loyola Law School grad, single mother and scion of the Alarcon political clan — bright, attractive and generally well-liked — moved from......

If she didn't know better, Barbara Broide of Westwood would be really confused. In 2002, she watched outdoor-advertising companies drag Los Angeles through the courts over a paltry $314 inspection fee meant to cover City Hall's costs to crack down on more than 4,000 illegal and legal billboards. That $314......