Daniel Miller

Ivy League universities paid hundreds of millions to settle with Trump. Is UCLA next? President Trump's higher education battle comes to the University of California. After the Department of Justice found that UCLA had violated Jewish students' civil rights, the administration froze hu...

NEW: Now that $300+ million in UCLA grants are frozen, will the university follow Columbia, Brown to settle with Trump? @danielnmiller.bsky.social and I look at the possibility of a big payout — and how California complicates the Trump higher education battle www.latimes.com/california/s...

In a digital age, old-fashioned watchmaking schools, including a new one from Rolex, are in demand Amid a shortage of watchmakers in the U.S., Rolex has opened a new school for watchmakers in Dallas. But industry stakeholders say more educational programs are needed.

Watches are a $23 billion industry in the U.S. But the field is experiencing a crisis — an education crisis. There are simply not enough American watchmakers, and the schools that train them are disappearing. Rolex just opened a new one. Will it be enough? www.latimes.com/california/s...

UCLA to pay $6.45 million to settle suit by Jewish students over pro-Palestinian protests UCLA agreed to settle a lawsuit by Jewish students who alleged the university aided a 2024 pro-Palestinian encampment, which the lawsuit alleged illegally discriminated against Jewish people.

Breaking: UCLA will pay $6.45 million to settle a civil rights suit filed by three Jewish students and a professor over the school's handling of the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests. Most of the money will be donated to Jewish groups. Story w/ @jaweedkaleem.bsky.social: www.latimes.com/california/s...

The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it After dominating the U.S. for decades, California avocado farmers have been lapped by Mexican growers offering cheaper fruit. But one local farmer is fighting back.

Read the story here: www.latimes.com/california/s...

LA Times Today: The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it Watch L.A.

I had a great time on “L.A. Times Today” — we talked about the plight of the California avocado farmer. One grower from L.A. has waged legal and legislative battles against entrenched interests he believes aren’t doing right by him and other farmers: www.latimes.com/00000197-d25...

The Palisades fire spewed toxins into the Pacific. Summer surf camps are paying the price For decades, surf camps and schools have been a mainstay of local beaches across Santa Monica Bay, but concerns over pollutants from the Palisades fire are hurting business.

For many West L.A. parents, it was the question of the spring: was it safe to send their kids to surf camp this summer? They feared the ocean was filled w/ Palisades fire toxins. I wondered, how are the camps faring? The answer: not well. Our story, w/ Al Schaben 📷: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Just so much respect for this family that took a Waymo from LAX to Tito’s and lugged their suitcases up to the counter to order a fat stack of tacos.

There were once 19 outposts of Louise's. Talk about bold-faced names: Mel Gibson and Michael Keaton were fans. Overseeing it all was Bill Chait, who later opened Bestia and Republique. To do it, he hired chefs Gino Angelini and Nicola Mastronardi. Guy Fieri worked there too.

This L.A. Italian restaurant chain was an incubator for star chefs. Now, one location remains Louise's Trattoria, the once ubiquitous L.A. chain that employed food luminaries such as TV personality Guy Fieri and chef Gino Angelini, has dwindled to one restaurant.

Vicini, the West L.A. Italian spot by chef Lucio Bedon, closed last week. He's one of several notable chefs from Italy who quietly got his start in the 90s at Louise's Trattoria. The humble chain, now w/ just one location, was actually a surprising culinary incubator: www.latimes.com/california/s...

This is the first known aerial photo of L.A. It was taken in 1887 from a hot air balloon as part of a promotional stunt by William Randolph Hearst. The balloon was launched from Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park), and traveled as high as 14,000 feet. www.raremaps.com/gallery/deta...

Prosecutors announce culprits behind 'The largest jewelry heist in U.S. history' NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with LA Times reporter Daniel Miller about the indictment of seven people in what prosecutors are calling "the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history."

Really enjoyed this chat w/ @ailsachang.bsky.social about the Brink's heist for "All Things Considered." We covered the indictment unsealed this week and the ins and outs of what authorities have called the biggest jewelry heist ever. More on the $100 million caper: www.npr.org/2025/06/20/n...

I'll be on @npr.org's "All Things Considered" in about 10 minutes to talk about the Brink's heist and the indictment unsealed in the case this week. Tune in for a talk about the biggest jewelry heist of all time.

Brink's heist saga: How do you fence stolen gems worth millions? Inside the jewelry black market Understanding the jewelry world's black market may be key to tracing the whereabouts of a multimillion-dollar haul stolen from a Brink’s big rig.

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

They lost millions in Brink's truck jewelry heist and have big questions about what happened The Brink's truck heist in Lebec has upended the tight-knit community of trade show jewelers. Its victims say the big rig burglary has left their businesses in shambles.

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Brink’s drivers shocked by size of jewelry heist — stolen bling may be worth $100 million The drivers of a Brink's vehicle that was burglarized last July in Lebec, Calif., did not know how valuable their cargo was, legal records show.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

We've written a dozen or so stories about the Brink's heist, highlighting the plight of the victimized jewelers, uncovering body-camera footage from the scene of the crime, and detailing the legal skirmishing between the victims and Brink's. Some of those stories are below:

Mystery solved: Thieves in big Brink’s heist indicted. But where are all the jewels? In 2022, a Brink's big rig transporting millions of dollars of jewelry was burgled at a Grapevine truck stop. The daring, late-night heist captivated the Southland.

In this story w/ @brittnymejia.bsky.social and @lacrimes.bsky.social, we reveal the crimes the seven co-conspirators allegedly carried out before the Brink's heist. They were smaller jobs that also involved following big rigs to truck stops. Read it here: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Mystery solved: Thieves in big Brink’s heist indicted. But where are all the jewels? In 2022, a Brink's big rig transporting millions of dollars of jewelry was burgled at a Grapevine truck stop. The daring, late-night heist captivated the Southland.

Breaking: Three years after the audacious heist of a Brink’s big rig at a Grapevine truck stop, seven L.A. area men have been indicted in the theft of as much as $100 million of jewelry. Some of the stolen items were recovered. Where’s the rest? www.latimes.com/california/s...

Will mom get detained? Is dad going to work? As fears over ICE raids mount across Los Angeles, undocumented families are grappling with how to handle crucial conversations with their children. On today’s front page: www.latimes.com/california/s...

California Avocado Growers In Crisis Podcast Episode · Special Sauce with Ed Levine · 06/06/2025 · 47m

I had a great time discussing my recent story about the fight to save the California avocado w/ Ed Levine for the Special Sauce podcast. You can listen to the conversation here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Being Jewish on campus amid Trump's campaign against antisemitism: 'tremendous heartache' After Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, campuses were roiled by pro-Palestinian protests, which left Jewish students feeling unsafe. How are those at UCLA and USC faring amid President Trump's ag...

A year after protests over Israel's war in Gaza, Jewish students at UCLA and USC wrestled with two questions: Did you feel safer this spring? And did Trump’s campaign against antisemitism play a role in it? One word came up often in interviews: “angst.” Our piece: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Here are the Monday front pages of the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk vows to restore campus trust amid 'nervousness and anxiety' UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, who was inaugurated Thursday, spoke to The Times about the state of higher education and his vision for the university amid Trump administration cuts, investigations and a...

Must-read story by @jaweedkaleem.bsky.social on Julio Frenk, UCLA's new chancellor. He was installed today, and has been running the university since Jan. 1. Within campus, he wants to “restore the bonds of trust among members of the UCLA community.” Read it here: www.latimes.com/california/s...

"Go Dubs," Kerr said in his speech, eliciting a smattering of applause — and boos.

Palisades Charter High School's graduation is today. But it isn't being held on campus, which burned in the Palisades fire. So the school is doing it at the Hollywood Bowl — where prominent Palisades resident Billy Crystal and Warriors coach Steve Kerr, an alum, are on hand.

Great headline on our avocado story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat! Here's the piece: www.latimes.com/california/s...

One of the best parts of working on this avocado story was collaborating with LAT photographer Robert Gauthier, whose images of farmworkers at ACA Groves bring wonderful texture to the presentation. Some of his shots.... www.latimes.com/california/s...

The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it After dominating the U.S. for decades, California avocado farmers have been lapped by Mexican growers offering cheaper fruit. But one local farmer is fighting back.

Reporting on avocados, I learned about Rudolph Hass, the Pasadena mail carrier who discovered the variety that now accounts for 95% of the avocados eaten in the U.S. Get this: his obituary didn't even mention the Hass avocado. (Yes, it's "Hass" not "Haas.") My piece: www.latimes.com/california/s...

The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it After dominating the U.S. for decades, California avocado farmers have been lapped by Mexican growers offering cheaper fruit. But one local farmer is fighting back.

The man calls himself the "Neuroavocado Warrior" and he's on a mission to save California's quintessential fruit: the avocado. But this quirky L.A. farmer faces a brutal battle against entrenched interests stretching all the way to Mexico. My inside look at his fight: www.latimes.com/california/s...

Trump administration threat to revoke Chinese student visas roils California Trump's revoking of Chinese students' visas is the latest in a effort to quickly remake higher education in America, a controversial project that has roiled academia.

Ray Wang, a Chinese student at UCLA, says he and others “feel kind of helpless" as the Trump administration provides few details for its plans to revoke visas

Story from @danielnmiller.bsky.social, Christopher Buchanan, @melissagomez.bsky.social, Howard Blume @latimes.com