“Pahlavi-pilled.” That’s what one Iran expert calls the supporters of Reza Pahlavi — the son of Iran’s last shah — who is angling to lead the country after the war. Here’s our look at how Iranian American political leaders in L.A. view the crown prince. www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Remarkable map of Tehran from 1958. Note the many places named for the Pahlavi family.
I’m at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where the $27 Drop Shot is the supposed answer to the U.S. Open’s Honey Deuce cocktail. It is, I am sorry to say, a truly vile affront to cocktails whose names are derived from tennis terminology.
If Paramount completes its purchase of Warner Bros., David Ellison will face a new conundrum: what to call the company. Branding isn't the weightiest issue at hand as the deal proceeds — but it matters. As one WB exec told me: dropping the company's name would be “soul-crushing.” politi.co/4br8M4X
L.A.’s new strategy to keep Hollywood in Hollywood: fewer filming fees, faster approvals for soundstages and a "Made in L.A." push. My dispatch from City Hall, where Joely Fisher told the City Council she’s "Hollywood royalty" and an actor dissed Atlanta. www.politico.com/newsletters/...
L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian talks about the passage of his multi-part plan to revitalize film and TV production in the city: “We are not surrendering our signature industry without a fight.”
The plan passed unanimously.
During public comment, Joely Fisher, SAG-AFTRA L.A. Local president, urged the City Council to approve a plan making it easier to film here. Lest anyone forget, Fisher — daughter of Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens — spelled it out: "I am Hollywood royalty." Cue the audience's snickers.
I'm at today's L.A. City Council meeting for the vote on Councilman Adrin Nazarian's nine-part proposal to revitalize local TV and film production. Hollywood workers are dominating public comment — and one actor lamented how she has to travel to work: "Guys have you been to Atlanta? It sucks."
Chevalier's, L.A.'s oldest independent bookstore, has begun carrying magazines after a nearby newsstand closed. It’s stocking titles that had been earmarked for the old newsstand, but some don’t fit the store’s sensibility. I saw a staffer removing copies of Star and US Weekly.
Corporate intake valve.
Here’s my inside look at the politics shaping the Warner Bros. sale and Trump’s role in it. Democratic lawmakers are irate and some fear his pressure campaign could reshape how political power is wielded over Hollywood. One executive called it “horrifying.” politi.co/3MKPjD1
News: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos will visit the White House Thursday to discuss the company's $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.' studio and streaming business. The visit comes days after President Trump said Netflix should fire board member Susan Rice: www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
As LA28 reels from the Wasserman scandal, a new crisis now looms: a possible Trump-induced international boycott of the ‘28 Olympics. Lawmakers are worried — “we need to have a plan B” — and organizers aren’t offering answers. My first @politico.com feature: www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Blasting billionaires as “oligarchs” whose “greed and arrogance and moral turpitude” threatens American society, Bernie Sanders rallied support in L.A. tonight for a proposed wealth tax roiling politics in Calif. Our piece from inside the Wiltern Theatre: www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine is playing a set as part of a night at L.A.’s Wiltern Theatre in support of a proposed California billionaire tax. The evening will be capped by a speech from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Citing the O’Jays song “Back Stabbers,” Danny J. Bakewell Jr., editor of the L.A. Sentinel newspaper, has written a blistering essay about Nithya Raman and her decision to enter the mayoral race: "Raman betrayed Mayor Bass ... Raman is not with us." lasentinel.net/there-is-no-...
…And here’s a statement from L.A. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez.
New: L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez reacts to the LA28 board’s decision to keep on Casey Wasserman as head of the Olympics organizing committee amid the controversy surrounding his appearance in the Epstein files…
Our piece on LA28's Wasserman decision is in today's California Playbook PM: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Breaking: LA28’s board says it has determined Casey Wasserman should remain in his role heading the Olympics committee. “We found Mr. Wasserman's relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.”
A 67% decline in sales from the first to second weekend is a massive decline. It typically indicates weak word-of-mouth and suggests interest in the film was front-loaded, meaning the bulk of the people who wanted to see it did so in the first few days.
“Melania” did an estimated $2.38 million in ticket sales this weekend — down 67% from last weekend — bringing its total gross to $13.4 million after two weeks, per Comscore.
Special trip to L.A.’s Marquez Family Cemetery, a rare remnant of the Boca de Santa Monica land grant. It’s still owned by the family that once controlled 6k acres here. It’s been a private cemetery since 1840 — when this was Mexico — and is hidden in a Santa Monica neighborhood.
The Post’s job cuts made the front page of the Boston Globe.
A day after massive layoffs, here’s the front page of the Washington Post.
I should add: I spent the last 13 years at the L.A. Times, where I most recently was an enterprise reporter, and previously covered Hollywood and business. I was born and raised in L.A., and it’s always been a thrill to tell the stories of my hometown.
It's my first day at @politico.com, where I'm helping launch a new coverage area from L.A. I'll be reporting on the intersection of entertainment, media, sports, tech and politics. Got tips or story ideas? dmiller@politico.com.
Thank you, Leslie!
Thrilled to join @politico.com and launch a new area of coverage from Los Angeles. I'll be reporting on the intersection of Hollywood, media, sports and tech with politics in L.A., California and beyond. I start next month — tips and story ideas welcome! www.politico.com/blogs/politi...
