Columnist, Bloomberg @Opinion. Past @latimes 🦅, @sacbee_news, @indystar, @beaconjournal. Ohioan by birth. Proud Californian by choice. ✊🏾🏳️🌈 DMs open.
Los Angeles, CA
Joined October 2008
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For much of the Donald Trump era, no low has been too low for what passes as political rhetoric. But voters’ tolerance for such political cruelty might finally be reaching its limit.
My take for @opinion on the Vivek Ramaswamy drama in my native Ohio.
bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
NEW: Appeals court rejects DOJ’s request for quick action in California voting case.
On a 2-1 vote, the 9th Circuit held that it had no jurisdiction to hear the appeal now. Instead, a previously set TRO hearing at the district ct should proceed Tuesday. lawdork.com/p/appeals-court-…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
NEW: As expected, on a 2-1 vote, the Ninth Circuit dismisses DOJ's appeal in the US v. California case over DOJ's claims relating to "likely noncitizen" voting. storage.courtlistener.com/re…
NEW: In rare Sunday arguments, appeals court judges skeptical of DOJ’s California election lawsuit.
The lawsuits in California and Alaska are expected to fail — but they also show how far A.G. Todd Blanche will go to advance Trump’s aims.
Law Dork: lawdork.com/p/ninth-circuit-…
This tracks…
The DSA's National Political Committee came to a decision Monday... to make two decisions in the future, but on different timelines...
Got it?
latimes.com/california/story…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman sent the following statement to DSA-LA explaining her position on BDS, which in turn was shared with DSA's National Political Committee:
Over the last couple of years, I have come to believe strongly that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, and I have felt deeply uncomfortable with US tax dollars funding this atrocity.
In November 2023, I was the first councilmember to recognize the lives lost in Palestine by adjourning a council meeting in honor of those killed in Gaza. Several months later, I called for an investigation into LAPD's violent response to the encampments and protests at USC and UCLA, noting that it is "incumbent upon the City to be transparent and accountable to Angelenos about how their safety and civil rights are being protected, and for that protection to be equally provided regardless of one's politics, identity and protected free speech."
And in June 2024, I co-authored the Los Angeles ceasefire resolution to ask that "the City joins the call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional return of all hostages, and the safe and immediate passage of unhindered humanitarian aid and medical care to Gaza; and ... that the City will not tolerate any form of harmful and racist language, especially antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, and Islamophobic hate speech toward anyone; and ... that the City supports peaceful diplomacy and an end to the conflict that honors all peoples' right to dignity, safety, and justice."
I believe the best way for working Angelenos to stand in solidarity with Gaza is through non-violent protest, legislative action, and diplomatic pressure, including BDS. As mayor, I will continue to protect the right of all people to engage in peaceful protests and would continue to oppose any policy or city legislation imposing penalties on the constitutional right to protest against or criticize any nation. Generations of Angelenos do not want their tax dollars to go toward endless wars when they are struggling to make rent, find housing, afford healthcare, and find stable work.
Erika D. Smith retweeted
Rick Caruso, the billionaire Los Angeles mall developer, said he is voting for his former rival Karen Bass for mayor as she fights for reelection against Nithya Raman, a city council member and democratic socialist who is leading the polls bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
NEW: Unions opposing California’s billionaire tax face revolt from their own locals, including teachers in SF + LA + various building trades
“A few staff people have lent their organizations’ logos to the billionaires,” said Suzanne Jimenez of SEIU-UHW
sfstandard.com/2026/10/26/ca…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
1) this isn’t California wide. This is Ventura County.
2) there are lots of ballot styles, and they position different races, differently, so where this ballot lines up different from other styles in county.
3) the envelopes are purchased and made well before the candidates are determined. Sometimes over a year in advance.
4) the hole is a common design feature and serves two purposes: a) so when election workers take ballot cards out of envelope, they can quickly look to see if grabbed all of them, b) it’s an alignment mark that visually impaired can use to know where to sign
5) as the narrator says in video, you can easily fold your ballot so nothing shows
6) what’s the theory of fraud here? That postal employee is gonna throw your ballot out after looking at that hole? You think the election office wouldn’t notice if hundreds of ballots thrown out?
7) also, you can track your ballot to make sure it arrives an election facility
8) or you can drop off at a drop box and then picked up directly by election workers
9) I know this is your profit model — posting videos like this — but it’s an immoral and idiotic profit model.
🥺
“Walter Koenig, a mainstay of the “Star Trek” franchise as Pavel Chekov, the Russian navigator aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, died on Sunday at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 90.” nytimes.com/2026/10/26/arts/…
“'It’s not often you come across S-1s that say: Oh, we all might die. Tough luck. You should still buy the stock. Here’s why,' said Hardika Singh, an economic strategist at Fundstrat Global Advisors."
Somehow, in 2026, this makes perfect sense.
politico.com/news/2026/10/26…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
Elon Musk has spent more money on American elections in the last two years than George Soros has in his entire life.
Erika D. Smith retweeted
The Ramaswamy ad has pushed the largest newspaper in Ohio, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, to reverse its position on endorsements.
"A candidate who uses childhood sexual abuse as a weapon against the person who endured it has crossed a line that Ohioans should defend, whatever their party. We are better than this. We have a responsibility to show it. Today we endorse Democrat Amy Acton for governor." cleveland.com/open/2026/10/w…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
This US attorney is way outside his lane. The Constitution gives states the power to control elections. If he has evidence that a state is violating federal law, he can challenge it in court. Ethics laws forbid this kind of extra-judicial smear about a party in pending litigation.
Hey Fraud King 👑
We’re not waiting for them to vote. You’re not allowed to have any noncitizens on your voter rolls. “Period. Full stop.”
It doesn’t matter if some haven’t voted in a prior election.
Stop playing games. Work with us to quickly verify the names we provided and prevent noncitizens from diluting the votes of American citizens.
If you’re so convinced we’re wrong, prove it. We can clear this up in days and give everyone confidence in the upcoming election.
What are you afraid of?
As I wrote earlier…
Donald Trump has cast California in a starring role in his latest voter-fraud drama, and the raids and arrests make for attention-grabbing theater. Don’t mistake the spectacle for reality, @Erika_D_Smith writes (via @opinion) bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
“It seems to me that you want us to issue an injunction that is entirely inconsistent with the law that the California Legislature has adopted pursuant to the Elections Clause,” Bennett told Justice Department attorney Matthew Donnelly. “How can we do that?”
A US appeals court panel in San Francisco expressed skepticism about a Justice Department effort to force California to segregate 20,000 mail-in ballots of people who the Trump administration claims are likely non-citizens registered to vote in the state. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
Oooh and look at that moon! There's a FACE there! What is that about? Space aliens must have put that there!
To the unschooled, everything looks like a plot.
The holes have been there for years. Here's why, from @kcranews . facebook.com/watch/?v=139944…
❗️
New: Sources from three countries confirm that the Trump Administration has advocated Viktor Orbán for UN Secretary-General.
The US has encouraged Orbán to enter the race, even bringing him the initial idea of a joint U.S.-Russia-China candidacy.
WSJ:
wsj.com/opinion/viktor-orban…
The Cleveland Browns becoming a team that can reliably put together winning 4th quarter drives was NOT on my 2026 bingo card. But I’ll take it! #CLEvsTEN
Erika D. Smith retweeted
NEW on @zeteo_news—
Venues are *pulling out* of hosting Vivek Ramaswamy for his final bus tour across Ohio.
“We’re getting calls that people don’t want him there,” a top Ohio Republican says. “It’s that damn ad.”
From @andrewperezdc & Swin Suebsaeng:zeteo.com/p/venues-start-can…
Erika D. Smith retweeted
Got our final poll of the cycle back @TheArgumentMag.
I've just never seen the bottom fall out *this badly* for a party before. There is nothing — and I mean *nothing* — good for Republicans in this one. It might well be our ugliest one yet for them.