Paul Thornton
@paulthornton.bsky.social
Co-founder, Golden State, California's home for fearless, informed, nonprofit opinion journalism. Ex-L.A. Times. I like trails and horror films.
https://golden-state.org
@goldenstateorg.bsky.social
https://golden-state.org
@goldenstateorg.bsky.social
When @marielgarza.bsky.social writes a piece about trash, you *have* to read it.
When he signed SB 54 in 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a "nation-leading" law fighting plastic pollution. Now, because of him, the law is in limbo. Here's how Californians can get it back on track.
Gavin Newsom's sweetheart deal for plastic pushers
The governor pushed an exemption that would undermine California's revolutionary law to phase out single-use packaging that's not being recycled or composted. It's not too late to get it back on track...
www.golden-state.org
February 6, 2026 at 4:51 PM
When @marielgarza.bsky.social writes a piece about trash, you *have* to read it.
This is a moving piece. Thanks to Dan Morain and Mary Lynne Vellinga for telling this story.
What we saw on a January evening volunteering for the Point-In-Time count of people living on the streets in Sacramento. www.golden-state.org/what-a-cold-... h/t @marielgarza.bsky.social @paulthornton.bsky.social
What a cold night in Sacramento interviewing homeless people taught us
We volunteered to count the unsheltered people in our community. Our conversations with those who agreed to talk touched our hearts and demonstrated why homelessness is so difficult to solve.
www.golden-state.org
February 3, 2026 at 6:42 PM
This is a moving piece. Thanks to Dan Morain and Mary Lynne Vellinga for telling this story.
Me today. To me, this is a no-brainer: The U.S. has become a place where unaccountable brute squads kill dissidents in the street, where children are abducted on the way home from school.
Yes, countries should boycott the 2026 World Cup, and they should start talking about the 2028 Olympics. Paul Thornton explains why.
Want to protest the assault on American democracy? Boycott the World Cup
I was excited to see players from my family's home country suit up on American soil. That was before Trump's latest assault on American democracy.
www.golden-state.org
January 30, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Me today. To me, this is a no-brainer: The U.S. has become a place where unaccountable brute squads kill dissidents in the street, where children are abducted on the way home from school.
Anyone in LA (northeast of DTLA or thereabouts) know what those explosions were? I'm in Alhambra and my dogs are *furious*.
January 28, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Anyone in LA (northeast of DTLA or thereabouts) know what those explosions were? I'm in Alhambra and my dogs are *furious*.
Think being a billionaire buys you an election in California? Meg Whitman and Rick Caruso would like a word.
This week Los Angeles political candidates will reveal their latest fundraising numbers—but don't assume those with the most cash will roll. LA and California have many examples of lower-spending winners. My new piece for @goldenstateorg.bsky.social. www.golden-state.org/money-cant-b...
Money can't buy you love — or an election in L.A. and California
Just ask Rick Caruso and Meg Whitman. In many city and state elections, the candidate who had the most amount of campaign cash still lost.
www.golden-state.org
January 27, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Think being a billionaire buys you an election in California? Meg Whitman and Rick Caruso would like a word.
We're doin it. And as Mariel said, no billionaire with conflicting interests is telling us what to do.
Welp, the Murdoch-owned @californiapost.bsky.social launched today. For anyone looking for the opposite of its cheap shot approach to state and LA issues, check out golden-state.org. It's independent and nonprofit, and brand new too. No billionaires are pulling the strings here.
Golden State
Fearless, informed, independent opinion journalism from California.
golden-state.org
January 27, 2026 at 12:42 AM
We're doin it. And as Mariel said, no billionaire with conflicting interests is telling us what to do.
Don't get me wrong: L.A.'s mountains are *gorgeous*.
(But yeah, they've long had a trash problem, and it's a damn shame.)
(But yeah, they've long had a trash problem, and it's a damn shame.)
If the sad state of Yosemite upsets you, then spare a thought for the San Gabriel Mountains, long a victim of trashy human behavior and government neglect.
Yosemite isn't the only California treasure trashed by visitors
Bad human behavior has taken over at Yosemite. Sadly, that’s been the reality for a long time in the San Gabriel Mountains, right on L.A.’s doorstep.
www.golden-state.org
January 26, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Don't get me wrong: L.A.'s mountains are *gorgeous*.
(But yeah, they've long had a trash problem, and it's a damn shame.)
(But yeah, they've long had a trash problem, and it's a damn shame.)
Word of the day for Tony Romo: “conditions.”
Big Lebowski Condition - Just Dropped In Dream 4K HDR
YouTube video by Cringe Cook
m.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Word of the day for Tony Romo: “conditions.”
Displaced Altadena renters are getting screwed. Please read this deeply reported, moving piece by Elizabeth Aguilera, herself a renter forced out of her family home by the Eaton fire.
Elizabeth Aguilera is a journalist who remains displaced by the Eaton fire. She writes that if the focus of rebuilding stays on homeowners and renters continue to feel ignored, the community that comes back will look vastly different than the Altadena that was lost.
Why Altadena renters feel left out of fire relief
Many Eaton fire survivors who rented their homes want to return to Altadena. Unless they get more help, the community that's rebuilt will look vastly different from the Altadena that was lost.
www.golden-state.org
January 23, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Displaced Altadena renters are getting screwed. Please read this deeply reported, moving piece by Elizabeth Aguilera, herself a renter forced out of her family home by the Eaton fire.
Left: the billboard on York/Figueroa in Highland Park at 11:37 a.m. today. No, it doesn’t say “PUCK ICE.”
Right: the same billboard at 3:54 p.m. today.
I bet the DIYers drew more any eyeballs than any paying advertiser ever.
Right: the same billboard at 3:54 p.m. today.
I bet the DIYers drew more any eyeballs than any paying advertiser ever.
January 22, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Left: the billboard on York/Figueroa in Highland Park at 11:37 a.m. today. No, it doesn’t say “PUCK ICE.”
Right: the same billboard at 3:54 p.m. today.
I bet the DIYers drew more any eyeballs than any paying advertiser ever.
Right: the same billboard at 3:54 p.m. today.
I bet the DIYers drew more any eyeballs than any paying advertiser ever.
Another edition of “I’m old enough to remember when…”
- ICE apologists would say “if you don’t like what agents did to you, you can always sue.”
- ICE apologists would say “if you don’t like what agents did to you, you can always sue.”
pepper spraying someone in the face from inches away while they are already restrained on the ground should get you fired and land you in jail, no exceptions
An observer arrested in Suth Minneapolis. Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 21, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Another edition of “I’m old enough to remember when…”
- ICE apologists would say “if you don’t like what agents did to you, you can always sue.”
- ICE apologists would say “if you don’t like what agents did to you, you can always sue.”
Dear world (esp my family in Norway):
"We" are not unravelling. A mad king is trying to make us do so.
"We" are not unravelling. A mad king is trying to make us do so.
January 18, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Dear world (esp my family in Norway):
"We" are not unravelling. A mad king is trying to make us do so.
"We" are not unravelling. A mad king is trying to make us do so.
“But the 90s and 00s” is officially a dead argument for not hating Dodger fans.
(And I’m a Dodger fan — welcome home Kyle Tucker.)
(And I’m a Dodger fan — welcome home Kyle Tucker.)
January 16, 2026 at 3:55 AM
“But the 90s and 00s” is officially a dead argument for not hating Dodger fans.
(And I’m a Dodger fan — welcome home Kyle Tucker.)
(And I’m a Dodger fan — welcome home Kyle Tucker.)
Reposting on the off chance that someone listens and turns into a cheerful warrior.
Save the country, we’re gonna lay that devil down….
My national anthem lately.
My national anthem lately.
Save the country (with lyrics) - Laura Nyro
YouTube video by ionlift
m.youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Reposting on the off chance that someone listens and turns into a cheerful warrior.
Reposted by Paul Thornton
Much respect to Jim Rainey at the LA Times who wrote about the local news renaissance in L.A. and plugged @goldenstateorg.bsky.social, LAreported.org, LAmaterial.com and other news outlets that will likely compete with the LAT for attention and readership.
www.latimes.com/california/n...
www.latimes.com/california/n...
L.A. journalism features a new year of many startups
Your morning catch up: L.A. journalism has several news players, California recycling problem and more big stories.
www.latimes.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Much respect to Jim Rainey at the LA Times who wrote about the local news renaissance in L.A. and plugged @goldenstateorg.bsky.social, LAreported.org, LAmaterial.com and other news outlets that will likely compete with the LAT for attention and readership.
www.latimes.com/california/n...
www.latimes.com/california/n...
Reposted by Paul Thornton
Crime is down. Police shootings are up. Way up.
xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...
xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...
Murders and robberies tumble in Los Angeles, while police shootings spike
In 2025, many major crime categories fell to pre-COVID levels…
xtown.la
January 15, 2026 at 12:16 AM
Crime is down. Police shootings are up. Way up.
xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...
xtown.la/2026/01/14/m...
I was able to register after waiting from 7:55 to 9. I picked Norway as my team, because why not.
Apparently the looping is a feature not a bug 🫠
January 15, 2026 at 1:12 AM
I was able to register after waiting from 7:55 to 9. I picked Norway as my team, because why not.
I wonder what “agreement” or deal there is to make. There’s no real dispute — just a bully nation that wants to blow up NATO because its leader is crazy. Denmark and Greenland should concede nothing.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Trump Administration Live Updates: Denmark Has ‘Fundamental’ Differences With U.S. Over Greenland, Diplomat Says
www.nytimes.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:49 PM
I wonder what “agreement” or deal there is to make. There’s no real dispute — just a bully nation that wants to blow up NATO because its leader is crazy. Denmark and Greenland should concede nothing.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Remember that San Diego sheriff's deputy said to have OD'd after merely touching fentanyl for a few moments?
Jonathan Ross' supposed internal bleeding kinda feels like that.
Jonathan Ross' supposed internal bleeding kinda feels like that.
ICE agent involved in shooting of Renee Good suffered internal bleeding, officials say
abcnews.go.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Remember that San Diego sheriff's deputy said to have OD'd after merely touching fentanyl for a few moments?
Jonathan Ross' supposed internal bleeding kinda feels like that.
Jonathan Ross' supposed internal bleeding kinda feels like that.
Reposted by Paul Thornton
Smart analysis in the Golden State Report, @goldenstateorg.bsky.social, showing why Trump’s demand to drill offshore from California’s coast won’t happen. open.substack.com/pub/goldenst... An aside: Assemblyman Pete Wilson drove the drilling ban in 1969. Ronald Reagan was governor.
No, Trump won’t be able to drill off California’s coast
The administration wants new drilling off the 1,100-mile coastline. Fat chance: This is probably illegal and faces overwhelming backlash.
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Smart analysis in the Golden State Report, @goldenstateorg.bsky.social, showing why Trump’s demand to drill offshore from California’s coast won’t happen. open.substack.com/pub/goldenst... An aside: Assemblyman Pete Wilson drove the drilling ban in 1969. Ronald Reagan was governor.
I'm old enough to remember the warnings of a uniquely American tilt into authoritarianism: It would be subtle and insidious, with daily life feeling normal as institutions folded.
Nope. There are actual brown-shirted thugs beating people up on the streets. We're on the Nazi path.
Nope. There are actual brown-shirted thugs beating people up on the streets. We're on the Nazi path.
January 14, 2026 at 12:22 AM
I'm old enough to remember the warnings of a uniquely American tilt into authoritarianism: It would be subtle and insidious, with daily life feeling normal as institutions folded.
Nope. There are actual brown-shirted thugs beating people up on the streets. We're on the Nazi path.
Nope. There are actual brown-shirted thugs beating people up on the streets. We're on the Nazi path.
I'm a fan of the LA Pod, so I almost asked my colleague Mariel for her autograph after she spent an hour talking to @awalkerinla.bsky.social and @mikebonin.bsky.social
Our founder Mariel Garza joined Alissa Walker and Mike Bonin for the latest LA Podcast episode to talk fire failures and the New York Post coming to Los Angeles. Give it a listen!
(And thanks to @awalkerinla.bsky.social and @mikebonin.bsky.social.)
(And thanks to @awalkerinla.bsky.social and @mikebonin.bsky.social.)
A Whole Post of Problems
Podcast Episode · LA Podcast · 01/12/2026 · 57m
podcasts.apple.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:08 PM
I'm a fan of the LA Pod, so I almost asked my colleague Mariel for her autograph after she spent an hour talking to @awalkerinla.bsky.social and @mikebonin.bsky.social
Reposted by Paul Thornton
good to know.
www.golden-state.org/no-trump-won...
www.golden-state.org/no-trump-won...
No, Trump won't be able to drill off California's coast
The administration wants new drilling off the 1,100-mile coastline. Fat chance: This is probably illegal and faces overwhelming backlash.
www.golden-state.org
January 13, 2026 at 10:43 PM
good to know.
www.golden-state.org/no-trump-won...
www.golden-state.org/no-trump-won...
Notwithstanding the belligerent stupidity of taking over Greenland, the Danish realm has something like 60,000 residents. If statehood really is on the table, DC and Puerto Rico would like a word.
Congressman Fine Introduces Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act to Strengthen U.S. National Security and Put Our Adversaries on Notice
Today, Congressman Fine (FL-06) introduced the Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act, landmark legislation focused on securing America’s strategic national security interests in the Arctic and counte...
fine.house.gov
January 13, 2026 at 12:22 AM
Notwithstanding the belligerent stupidity of taking over Greenland, the Danish realm has something like 60,000 residents. If statehood really is on the table, DC and Puerto Rico would like a word.
The owner of my former employer of 20 years is leading a biotech alliance with Saudi Arabia, which butchered a journalist in 2018.
Everything Patrick Soon-Shiong said praising journalism after buying the LAT was a lie. I believed that when he made his opinion staff eat shit; this just confirms it.
Everything Patrick Soon-Shiong said praising journalism after buying the LAT was a lie. I believed that when he made his opinion staff eat shit; this just confirms it.
Pat Soon-Shiong: Will Be an Exciting JPM Week - OncoDaily
Pat Soon-Shiong: Will Be an Exciting JPM Week / cancer, OncoDaily, Oncology, Pat Soon-Shiong
oncodaily.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:41 AM
The owner of my former employer of 20 years is leading a biotech alliance with Saudi Arabia, which butchered a journalist in 2018.
Everything Patrick Soon-Shiong said praising journalism after buying the LAT was a lie. I believed that when he made his opinion staff eat shit; this just confirms it.
Everything Patrick Soon-Shiong said praising journalism after buying the LAT was a lie. I believed that when he made his opinion staff eat shit; this just confirms it.