Jim Newton

Are you a Deadhead in Southern California? Or someone interested in counterculture? Or California history and politics? If so, please join me and legendary professor Varun Soni for what promises to be a fun and engaging evening.

Opinion | For many Californians, reducing homelessness comes down to the encampment next door Statistics do little to convey the seriousness of homelessness in California. What often matters most is how much people encounter it.

My latest for CalMatters, a reflection on the ways we interact with homelessness.

'These are not normal times': Why Alex Padilla changed his tune on nonpartisan redistricting | Opinion Sen. Alex Padilla says "there's too much at stake" for Democrats to remain idle in a political arms race between red and blue states.

My latest for @calmatters.org, on Senator Alex Padilla, President Donald Trump and the politics of redistricting.

Thank you! I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it. Enjoy!

So thankful to my friend @rabcarian.bsky.social and to Writers Bloc for a lively and heartwarming conversation last night about @jerrygarcia.com, the @grateful-dead.bsky.social and American counterculture, all of which feels very timely and important. Thank you!

Why the Grateful Dead are one of California's greatest natural phenomena Your morning catch-up: 60 years of Deadheads, 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro’s parents charged with murder and more big stories.

Flattered and delighted to wake up to this lovely piece in Essential California by my old friend and colleague, the great Jim Rainey.

Delighted to join @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social for this fun conversation about Jerry Garcia, the Dead and the counterculture. Thank you for having me!

30 Years After His Death, A Reflection On Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia’s Political Legacy | KQED This week marks 30 years since the death of Grateful Dead frontman and San Francisco native Jerry Garcia. Despite Garcia's disdain for government and politics, he navigated his band through the counte...

One great thing about writing a book is the conversations it creates. I was thrilled to have one of those with Scott Shafer about @jerrygarcia.com

New book examines intersection between Jerry Garcia and American counterculture "Inside the Issues" looks at the book

The book is in the world! Delighted to kick it off with the great Amrit Singh and his dedicated colleagues at Spectrum News. More coming!

How happy does this make me? I’m in San Francisco, celebrating the dedication of “Jerry Garcia Street” with the magnificent Trixie Garcia. Bliss.

Wrapped the audio version of “Here Beside the Rising Tide,” my @jerrygarcia.com counterculture book this morning. Thanks to Tim Miller and York Recording in LA for pulling it off! Book and audio will be released Aug. 5.

'I'm in one of his TV shows': The federal government is staging political theater in Los Angeles | Opinion Since Trump sent the military to L.A., everything about the ICE protests and the federal response to them has lacked a connection to reality.

My latest for @calmatters, on the political theater unfolding in Los Angeles.

Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening by Jim Newton Biographer Newton (Man of Tomorrow) serves up a sympathetic meditation on the Grateful Dead; its quixotic frontman, Jerry Garcia...

First reviews of my forthcoming book are in and exciting. So grateful for the chance to put this book out in the world and to @publisherswkly.bsky.social for taking note of it. Thank you!

LA’s community of undocumented immigrants is hiding, leaving a hole in the fabric of the city | Opinion Los Angeles’ large, productive, and now very afraid community of undocumented immigrants has slipped into the shadows. Here's how it hurts us all.

My latest for @calmatters.org on the destructive impact of ICE raids in Los Angeles.

Opinion | Why California Became Trump’s Favorite Target — and Why the State Isn’t Backing Down There’s much more at stake for Trump — and Californians — than deportations.

My thoughts on the unrest in Los Angeles — and Trump’s role in provoking it. Thanks to @politico.com

Los Angeles has a Donald Trump problem. It’s making the city's bad budget even worse | Opinion As Los Angeles confronts a major budget deficit, President Donald Trump's economic policies and abrupt actions are making it much harder.

Trump makes life difficult for cities, and he’s doing extra damage to Los Angeles. My latest for @calmatters.org calmatters.org/commentary/2...

What a dick.

Article 1, Sec. 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution: “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present …from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
How does a $400 million plane from Qatar not violate that?

How long until Trump blames this on Biden?

'We're here every day': Inside the painstaking effort to heal LA's troubled MacArthur Park | Opinion Several nonprofits are working to resuscitate MacArthur Park in L.A., cleaning streets, treating drug overdoses and calming gang tensions.

My latest for CalMatters, on hard work of reviving LA’s MacArthur Park: calmatters.org/commentary/2...

Thank you.

Aaron Rupar on X: "asked by Stephen A. Smith about his Harvard shakedown, Trump starts ranting about Harlem and says "I got a very high Black vote" https://t.co/ZoKFaAx7xs" / X asked by Stephen A. Smith about his Harvard shakedown, Trump starts ranting about Harlem and says "I got a very high Black vote" https://t.co/ZoKFaAx7xs

This is what happens when the brain of a racist melts down: x.com/atrupar/stat...

Trump’s Approval Rating Has Been Falling Steadily, Polling Average Shows President Trump’s approval rating has sunk to about 45 percent, down from 52 percent one week after he took office.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/u...

California’s economy surpasses Japan’s as it becomes fourth largest in world State’s nominal GDP reaches $4.1tn, edging out Japan’s $4.02tn, ranking it behind the US, China and Germany

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Imagine that at the outset of WWII, Japan had seized California, Oregon and Washington, and a third power then proposed settling the conflict by having the US cede that territory to Japan to avoid further hostilities. Would we have welcomed that?

This was not a model editorial, but it is certainly the right conclusion for the jury to reach since there is zero evidence of malice.

The art of “surrender diplomacy.”

This explains the idiocy of Trump’s tariff policy better than anything else I’ve seen.

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Trump Plan to End Birthright Citizenship The Trump administration had asked the justices to lift a nationwide pause on the policy as lower court challenges continue.

This should be a simple matter for the Court — and a stern rebuke to Trump’s outlandish and ahistorical legal theory. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/u...

No knows why it's taken this long to link Metro to the LA airport — but it's finally happening | Opinion Everyone has a theory, but the failure to bring a train to LAX is a municipal mishap whose rationale is lost to time, though that may change.

My latest for CalMatters: calmatters.org/commentary/2...