Daniel Heimpel

'Times' Editor David Lauter Defends Paper's Coverage Of County Child Care, Calls Out Critics As Biased

The Times stands by its coverage of county child welfare.​Updated after the jump with reference to a day when the Times changed its figures without noting the fact to readers. First posted at 11:41 a.m. The Times, they aren't a-changin.' At least not when it comes to the paper's controversial ... More >>

L.A. Times Ripped For Allegedly Exaggerating Number Of Children Under L.A. County's Care Who Have Died

The children of L.A. County.​LA Weekly contributor Daniel Heimpel rips the Los Angeles Times Tuesday in a piece in the Huffington Post about its coverage of the county's child welfare woes. Others have been critical of the Times' coverage, but Heimpel spells out a litany of alleged problems w ... More >>

Weekly's Heimpel wins Anna Quindlen award for gripping story on growing up in foster care

Daniel Heimpel, freelance writer for the Weekly, has won the national Anna Quindlen Award for Excellence in Journalism in Behalf of Children and Families, a national competition founded 15 years ago to recognize print reporters, editorial writers, and broadcasters whose coverage of child welfare "ad ... More >>

At the mercy of adults

Left to Themselves: Foster Youths in L.A., a Before-and-After Story

Nobody can undo the damage to kids like John, raised from infancy by the foster-care industry

Andrew Adelman's Building & Safety Mess

Lurid rape claim aside, there's no mystery about his failed oversight

Diva Debate, Percentage Points and Collective Comments on Cannibis

L.A. Weekly News Editor Responds to L.A. Times Hit Piece

LA Weekly News Editor Jill Stewart responds to LA Times' Jim Rainey

Here's the letter I sent out early this morning to friends and colleagues about the attack column published in the LA Times today and written by James Rainey. On the following page, you'll see some of the support I've received today from writers and others. I've emailed this letter to James Rainey a ... More >>

"Sunset Junction": One-Sided?

LA Weekly best in Southern California Journalism Awards in news, investigative, column, feature and political reporting

It was a huge, huge night for LA Weekly at the Los Angeles Press Club's awards gala in Universal City a few hours ago. Staff writer Christine Pelisek triple-swept in the Hard News, Investigative and News Feature categories for major newspapers with more than 100,000 circulation, beating the Los Ang ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Gay Pride, Kung Fu Femmes, Jay Reatard, Plus Lakers Win but Downtown L.A. Loses

Sunday night was a winning night for L.A. Weekly at the Los Angeles Press Club Awards ceremony at the Universal City Sheraton hotel. Writers Christine Pelisek, Daniel Heimpel, Gendy Alimurung and Nancy Rommelmann all took home first place awards, while Darrick Rainey, Steven Leigh Morris, Patrick Ra ... More >>

Bad Rap: San Francisco Burritos, and a Man Named Herbie Gonzalez

L.A.'s Density Bonus Blowup

A judge says City Hall broke the law by allowing outsize projects

Measure B fine print: DWP's scooter and wind power debacles

By Daniel HeimpelThe battle over Measure B, City Hall's solar plan that sped through Los Angeles City Council at the speed of light, is heating up like a photo-voltaic panel under summer sun. During a special hearing at City Hall early this week, Council member Tony Cardenas pressed DWP bureaucrats ... More >>

Measure B: Baffled DWP can't name one "on time" solar project

By Daniel HeimpelAt a special meeting this morning of the Los Angeles City Council's Energy and Environment Committee, the topic was the council's March 3 ballot measure that, purportedly, will drape 1,500 acres of silicon solar panels on rooftops in L.A.On the defensive after taking a media hammeri ... More >>

Zahniser and Orlov Hit Villaraigosa's Sneaky Solar Blob

Can Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Measure B, the massive solar panel installation project on the March 3 ballot that is certain to pass because Los Angeles voters have no idea what it really is, get any sleazier?Today, the estimable Dave Z writes in the soon-to-be gone California Section of the L.A. ... More >>

Villaraigosa Paying a 'Living Wage' to Experienced Gang Bangers

By Daniel HeimpelIt's harder to get a job these days, but with a degree in Los Angeles gang-banging, you can apply to the city for a "living wage" of up to $30,000--with health insurance. Thugs who claim to have reformed, like Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones, who was recently arrested  for jacking rapper ... More >>

Villaraigosa releases secret anti-gang list from GRYD

By Daniel HeimpelA couple weeks back I asked L.A. gang czar Rev. Jeff Carr, who were the people doling out millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to largely untested non-profits who will try to prevent kids from joining gangs. Carr told me, in broad outlines, the kind of people who were on the govern ... More >>

Mold Queen Loses in Court: July 24, 2008

City Blights, City Flights, City License

Plus, the fight for public-access TV

Villaraigosa's $24M Secret: Anti-Gang Contracts

By Daniel Heimpel The other day, City Hall's Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) task force chief, Rev. Jeff Carr, revealed to L.A. Weekly that the process for awarding $24 million in "anti-gang" contracts is drenched in secrecy -- even though the program controlled by Mayor Antonio Villar ... More >>

L.A. City Council Makes Solar Look Bad

Shenaningans taint a clean-energy plan, and the council lays it all on voters

Day of the Child on Santa Monica Pier

By Daniel Heimpel In the world of foster kids, victories are few and often small. But this week, Santa Monica Pier was transformed, with more than 1,500 volunteers lined up in a blustery wind to meet the children with whom they'd spend the day. The 10th Annual Day of the Child, put on by Children ... More >>

Election '08: The Pros and Cons of California's Ballot Measures

By Daniel Heimpel, Max Taves and Jill Stewart Statewide Measures Proposition 1A $10 billion bond. High Speed Passenger Train Bond Act. Total price tag with interest: About $19 million. Proposition 1 would give the state the right to sell $10 billion in bonds to build an 800-mile high-speed tr ... More >>

Sheeple: Mob thinking on both sides at the Palin event in Carson

By Daniel Heimpel Saturday was a little weird. First, I was in Carson. Second, I was eating a chicken sandwich from KFC. And third, Sarah Palin was coming to town. Seated at a concrete table in front of the fast food restaurant, I had a good view of the action. A large group of predominantly black ... More >>

Scientist Kelman wins libel suit against Mold Queen Kramer

News just came in that toxicologist Bruce Kelman, targeted by people who have an almost religious, misguided fear of common household mold, has prevailed in a key case against Mold Queen Sharon Kramer. Kelman emails the Weekly: "Kramer was found guilty of libeling me." Their bitter battle was det ... More >>

Donald Trump, Ed McMahon and Toxic Mold

It's been unsettling to watch the massive layoffs at the LA Times and Daily News, but when you read a sanitized story like today's Los Angeles Times California section report on The Donald's effort to save Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon from foreclosure, it's a reminder that newspapers have a fat ... More >>

Missing Heath; on Randall Roberts' "Masses" Feature

Also, comments on Scott Foundas' "Bud, Wiser" and Daniel Heimpel's "Mold Rush" feature

Kramer Versus Weekly: Molding the News?

L.A.'s Toothless Spaying Law

A new neutering rule appeases the wrathful animal-rights lobby but offers little hope