Senior writer Doug Smith scouts Los Angeles for the ragged edges where public policy meets real people, combining data analysis and gumshoe reporting to tell L.A. stories through his 50 years of experience covering the city. As past database editor from 2004 through 2015, he hunted down and analyzed data for news and investigative projects. Besides “Grading the Teachers,” he contributed to investigations of construction abuse in the community college system and the rising toll of prescription drug overdoses. Smith has been at The Times since 1970, covering local and state government, criminal justice, politics and education. He was the lead writer for Times’ coverage of the infamous North Hollywood shootout, winner of a 1997 Pulitzer Prize. Between 2005 and 2008, Smith made five trips to Iraq on loan to our foreign desk.
Latest From This Author
After approving a settlement requiring L.A. County to provide 3,000 new mental-health and substance-use treatment beds, Judge David O. Carter staged a test.
Oct. 2, 2023
A judge signed off on Los Angeles County’s vow to produce 3,000 mental health and substance use treatment beds, ending a lawsuit over homelessness.
Sept. 29, 2023
In another attempt to settle a lawsuit, Los Angeles County has agreed to create 3,000 new mental health and substance use treatment beds by the end of 2026.
Sept. 26, 2023
Day led the W.M. Keck Foundation, founded by his grandfather, and was a major donor to Claremont McKenna College and USC.
Sept. 24, 2023
A judge has set the stage for a possible trial over the slow progress of West L.A.’s Veterans Affairs’ campus to build housing for homeless veterans.
Sept. 20, 2023
Taking people off the street and into tents is a new twist on homeless shelter being explored by the San Francisco-based Urban Alchemy in two tent villages operating in Los Angeles and Culver City.
Sept. 14, 2023
In a smooth transition at the California Community Foundation, former L.A. city administrative officer and now Weingart Foundation head Miguel Santana will replace Antonia Hernández, who announced her retirement in March.
Aug. 22, 2023
As Tropical Storm Hilary arrives, Angelenos are advised to check their emergency kits, charge devices and batteries, and make a plan for getting information as the storm progresses.
Aug. 20, 2023
Mayor Karen Bass has gotten a big ask from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, which has agreed to allow LA to put homeless people into housing before they compile all the documentation necessary to prove their eligibility.
Aug. 16, 2023
A man’s imprisonment and a call to action — “Save Gary’s Life!” — launched activists who got their start at an L.A. high school.
Aug. 16, 2023