History and Traditions of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos
History and Traditions of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos

Halloween became popular in the United States around the second half of the nineteenth century when Irish immigrants migrated to the U.S. due to the famine. Today, Halloween has evolved into a day of trick-or-treating, costumes, and festivals to make the holiday more family-friendly and community-focused.

Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. It has grown to be celebrated throughout many Latin American countries, the Caribbean, and the United States.


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CultureKimberly AquinoKimberly AquinoComment
Jackie Lacey Concedes in the Race Against George Gascón for L.A. District Attorney
Jackie Lacey Concedes in the Race Against George Gascón for L.A. District Attorney

Jackie Lacey gave her final speech as District Attorney (D.A.) of Los Angeles today, November 6, to a room of masked reporters inside the Hall of Justice. After holding her position for eight years, Lacey has officially conceded to opponent George Gascón.

“I congratulate George Gascón and his team on their expected victory,” Lacey said. “There are still about 791,000 votes to count, but my consultants tell me that while I may close the gap between the two of us, I will not be able to make up enough based on the trending of the ballots to win this election.”

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NewsJackie SedleyJackie Sedley, Maxim Elramsisy, Johaira DilauroComment
An Unprecedented Electoral College Amidst an Unprecedented Year
An Unprecedented Electoral College Amidst an Unprecedented Year

Over the past 48 hours, many Americans have been glued to their televisions as results began to pour in for the United States Presidential Election. If Biden wins Nevada and Arizona (an increasingly likely scenario), that would put him at 270 electoral college votes, the exact amount required to win the presidency. This would be the closest the election has been since the 270 rule was put into place in 1964.

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News, Election Coverage, 2020 ElectionsCarolyn BurtJohnny Neville, Carolyn BurtComment
As Election Day Turned Into Election Night Fears Of Widespread Civil Disturbance Were Not Realized
As Election Day Turned Into Election Night Fears Of Widespread Civil Disturbance Were Not Realized

Although parts of the city looked normal, protesters were out and many store owners had boarded up their windows. Santa Monica was quiet after dark, but there were protests in downtown Los Angeles, and police made a number of arrests.

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Week in Photos, Photo StoriesOctavia Anderson, Alex Ramirez, & Marco PallottiElection, Election Day, Election Night, Santa Monica, Downtown LA, DTLAComment
A Movement in the Valley
A Movement in the Valley

When Latora Green first decided to protest outside the Sherman Oaks Galleria on May 31, she couldn’t have anticipated how her life was about to change. Black Lives Matter protests were happening all throughout the country in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers, with many happening in different neighborhoods of L.A. “I came out here [to protest] when it happened to George Floyd, but I didn’t stop,” said Green. “It’s bigger than that...I did it because it keeps happening. It’s sad, it’s disgusting, and we’re saying ‘enough is enough’.”

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Photo Stories, Week in Photos, 2020 in ReviewMichael GoldsmithCarolyn Burt, Romeo Kuhn, Michael GoldsmithComment
Gavin Newsom Could Pick Harris Stand-In
Gavin Newsom Could Pick Harris Stand-In

Kamala Harris has served as a California Senator since 2017, but if elected as Vice President, she will have to vacate her seat. While the House of Representatives holds special elections whenever there is a vacancy, some states, including California, allow governors to appoint a temporary Senator until the next Congressional election.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is in charge of finding a replacement for Harris, the United States’ second Black female Senator. While Newsom has not confirmed his list of potential appointees, his top two rumored choices are California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, according to a CalMatters report from August.

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News, 2020 ElectionsGabrielle FaulknerGabrielle Faulkner, Maxim ElramsisyComment
When Will We Know Election Results?
When Will We Know Election Results?

2020 has been anything but simple, with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the presidential election. The Trump-Pence vs. Biden-Harris campaign race will end once the election results are officially announced. While the possibility that a presidential winner will be announced on election night still exists, it may take a week -- or even a month -- before we know who our president and vice president will be for the next four years.

Even though Americans are used to having a projected winner from news stations on election night, these predictions are based on assumptions from partial voting results. The winner of the election for each state will be announced once every vote has been counted.

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News, 2020 ElectionsJohaira DilauroJohaira Dilauro, Todd WilkinsonComment