~Some personal news~ Since rejoining the LA Times, I've transitioned to a new beat covering California wildlife & the outdoors for the environment desk. Coverage will include state/national parks & urban ecology. Send tips & cute mountain lion pics to lila.seidman
@latimes
.com!
Researchers long wondered how sharks, beyond the rare bites that make headlines, behave around people. Were they curious? Were they skittish? Or did they just ignore them?
“So far it looks like sharks just don’t care."
A must-devour by
@joemozingo
I couldn't sleep at all last night -- maybe I sensed something bad was coming. This is my first layoff after more than 10 years of working as a reporter. I have no idea what happens next, but thank you everyone who has read my work and supported me along the way.
~Some personal news~ After years of telling folks I planned to integrate my clinical therapy graduate work into reporting, it’s happening! Starting today, I’m covering Mental Health for
@latimes
, shifting away from breaking news. Send me all the pitches: lila.seidman
@latimes
.com.
A pyrocumulonimbus cloud soared 40,000 feet above the eastern edge of the
#DixieFire
last night, generating a fire whirl that shot up like an eerie tendril over the flames.
Officials say it's a sign the fight against the massive fire is far from over
Devastated, numb. This is the end of the line for me at the Times. If anyone has job leads, please send them to the dark cave I'll be staying in for the next few days.
L.A. Times management has notified me that 94
@latguild
members are being notified of intended layoff today, or about one-fourth of our whole membership.
This total, while devastating, is nonetheless far lower than the total number of Guild layoffs initially expected last week.
In Lazarusian twist of fate, I am keeping my job at the LA Times. I truly feel like I'm coming back from the dead.
Getting to stay in this industry another day is an honor and privilege I don't take lightly. I'm still reeling, but can't wait to get back to work.
Amid all the traumatic journalism news out there, I have something personally bright to report: Beginning today, I am reporting for the LA Times' News Desk, covering trending topics and breaking news! Send me your tips, tribulations, etc. 🌟
~Some personal news~
I'm no longer the LA Times mental health reporter. It was a difficult, often heart-wrenching beat. But I'm grateful I was able to shine a light on issues that often go unseen.
Before I get into what’s next, here’s some work I’m particularly proud of:
The Dixie fire seared more than 100,000 more acres in the last 24 hours, and has spread to four counties.
It jumped to the rank of 3rd largest fire in California history, up from 6th just yesterday.
A pair of researchers found a lack of affordable housing was the biggest predictor of homelessness. Mental illness and addiction are factors, but "I firmly believe that we can’t treat our way out of this problem," one said. via
@GaryWarthUT
If you live in LA, you've heard - and felt - that the mosquitoes are bad. But they're really, extra bad right now.
Hilary doused the region and sent populations of mosquitoes skyrocketing. Aedes, the ankle-biters, are triple the average. My latest:
It's true & it's devastating: Glendale News-Press is shutting down. Thank u for the outpouring of support - ppl's interest in local news & govt has made the work so fulfilling. I have a next step, so pls send yr virtual drinks to the reporters who are hurting the most rn
When I told my friend who has no knowledge of the newspaper business that the LA Times was making deep cuts in audio, social media and website staff, he said, "So they're turning their back on the future?"
It is unbelievably strange not to be pitching a story, interviewing someone for a story, writing a story, editing a story, fact checking a story, promoting a story. That’s been my life for a decade. It’s all I know.
I barely slept, wondering if my story on LA Armenians risking everything to fight for their homeland would do justice to their powerful stories. I'm touched by the response. Here's a glimpse into why some ppl are leaving family & careers for the front
FRONT PAGE OF TODAY'S LA TIMES: My story on why LA County ended a mental health program aimed at keeping the sickest residents out of hospitals & jails -- and will return millions of dollars given to run them.
Hope you'll give it a read!
I've cried (and cried and cried) this week, wondering what's going to become of the la times, a paper I grew up with and always aspired to be part of. Today we walk out together in a last-resort effort to try and save it.
Here's my KPCC interview giving a glimpse into what I saw & the people I spoke to at the large Armenian solidarity protest yesterday in L.A. It's followed by a segment w/
@LianaAgh
, who does a great job explaining the significance of the protest
Just in! Glendale residents are now required to wear a mask walking anywhere outside their homes -- not just in essential businesses, following a 4-1 vote just now by City Council. This goes beyond requirements by LA County
#MyGlendale
You guys might have noticed I've been writing a lot of California stories lately. (Alright, I'm sure you didn't notice.) But it's a good segue to announce that I joined LA Time's Metro team, covering breaking news and stories abt the city/state I'm from and love with all my ❤️
All the support I've received since announcing my layoff has been touching. I'm overwhelmed, and grieving, but please know I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement.
My 1st story after returning to
@latimes
! It's about the tenacity of a Death Valley lake that park officials expected to dry up long ago. Instead, storms this month roughly doubled its size. People are now kayaking on it, including at least one ranger!
Ahem! It's my first day covering the California outdoors for the
@latimes
🌲 I'm looking to chat with folks who recently hiked in the Eastern Sierra -- or are planning to head up soon. For a story on what to expect months after the record snow. DM or email me 🙏
After more than a year of closure, Monterey Bay Aquarium is reopening!
The otters and penguins are "really, really engaged when they see people now in the building." 😍
Lost, hungry and tired, a hiker wasn't sure if he'd be able to survive another night in the wilderness of the Angeles Forest.
LASD's search & rescue team found him before he had to -- with the help of citizen GPS sleuth
@ai6yrham
.
Even as the news cycle relentlessly marches on, I want to acknowledge that this is a sad day for the la times. It marks the official departure of many of our colleagues, whose absence weighs heavy on the heart.
I feel crushing sadness over what’s happening at the la times. I love this place so much. It’s been the honor of a lifetime to work alongside my brilliant colleagues and I hope there’s a dignified path forward for us. That’s why I’ll be standing with them at tomorrow’s walkout.
🦅THE L.A. TIMES GUILD IS WALKING OUT🦅
We are calling for a one-day walkout TOMORROW, Jan. 19, in protest of management's proposal to cut staff and multiple unfair labor practices.
A judge today ordered LA County health officials to provide scientific evidence justifying its outdoor dining ban.
If the evidence isn't sufficient, the judge could overturn the ban early next week.
My story:
I did not think I could summit Mt. Baldy. And I definitely did not think I could summit it in intense snow and wind. But, incredibly, here I am (for a story).
Just learned my mom has been vaccinated and I am so, so, so relieved. She’s ridiculously high-risk, over 65 and asthmatic, and has been working onsite at a hospital as a medical transcriptionist throughout the entire pandemic. Long exhale.
When one Beverly Hills neighborhood in 2016 voted for Trump over Clinton, it was seen as an anomaly. This time around, no one seemed shocked that an even wider swath went red. “Trump has been very good for rich people," one resident said.
My story:
Took a big step and went solo camping for the first time (in Death Valley). Two years ago, I doubt I would have been confident enough to drive there alone.
I know it’s not a huge deal, but feeling empowered & self-sufficient, ready to hang w/ Thoreau & Emerson
Sigh. My last outdoors newsletter, a Q&A with legendary mountaineer Rick Ridgeway, was supposed to kick off a series on what it means to live wild in 2024. Instead, it's a period on my tenure.
Celebrating my one-year anniversary with LA Times this week.
Starting as the pandemic took off set the tone - it's been a wild, woolly year that's stretched my abilities. As a reporter, as a person. I've learned so much, including that I still have so much to learn.
A group of elected officials gathered today on the steps of City Hall to condemn what they called Azerbaijani and Turkish aggression against the Armenian ppl in Artsakh & demanding the U.S. intervene
PANDEMIC DREAMS: Hello! I am collecting dreams during this period of mandated quarantine to archive & for a potential future project. Pls email *any* interesting dreams from this period, typed out or audio recorded, to my personal email: lila.seidman
@gmail
.com. Thnx😷!
Covering Glendale for nearly 2 years, I frequently heard folks reference its racist past, including ties w/ the KKK and Nazi Party. City officials say they're finally willing to confront that dark history and move forward. Here's my story:
Fake trees constructed to camouflage cell towers are all around us -- imitating palm, pine & even eucalyptus.
@DanielNMiller
dives deep into the philosophical implications of the faux flora in LA, a city often lampooned for artificiality
Going on assignments with
@francineorr
was basically a masterclass in how to treat sources with respect and dignity. She was my sidekick for some very difficult mental health stories. So honored to have worked with her and learned so much in the process.
A climatologist told me it would take 17 years of above-average rainfall & snowfall to refill Lake Mead, an important water source for the West. He added, "There's no quick fix to drought."
Jumped into the back of a Glendale Fire Dept ambulance early this morning to watch a team bring doses of the coronavirus vaccine to homebound patients across the city.
Today marks the launch of a pilot program designed to reach this vulnerable group.
Don't want to jinx it, but: I made it to 2,000 followers today! Thank you so much to everyone who's tuned in & stayed -- whether it's for my news coverage or bad jokes. A local city councilman once called my Twitter "off," and I take pride in that.
Someone carrying an anti-vax sign at this Tinhorn Flats restaurant rally in Burbank aggressively (accusingly?) asking me if I’ve “ever read Foucault” might be the surrealist moment of the past year
If anyone has friends or family in Artsakh, knows someone with friends or family in Artsakh or knows someone who left the states to go to Artsakh amid the conflict, please DM or email me. For a story.
So cool to see my Channel Islands backpacking adventure printed in today’s
@latimes
Saturday edition — beautiful layout does justice to Santa Rosa’s magical landscape ✨
“We’re a majority-Latino county with 10M people,” Eater LA's Farley Elliott said. “The idea that Erewhon is a baseline for how the majority of Angelenos eat is not only absurd, it’s beyond offensive.”
I love all the comments from
@overoverunder
in here
17/
@lila_seidman
, mental health reporter
@latimes
, will dig into the numbers and break down what actually happens when calls arrive to the 988 suicide prevention hotline.
My 92-year-old grandma, an abstract painter, has picked up the brush again after many years! Her occupational therapist is an inspirational gem. Truly made my day to find this out.
Great News! The Glendale News Press is back! Publisher of La Cañada Outlook to revive Burbank Leader, Glendale News-Press and Valley Sun. Read more here:
#MyGlendale
Let me give budding reporters a piece of advice. Whatever you do, do NOT post a picture of your sweaty armpit on Twitter. It could become one of your top Google image search pics and haunt you for the rest of your career.