Hayes Davenport

Since I'm seeing it everywhere: I worked in LA City Hall when the budget passed. Our office voted No. But the idea that LAFD was "defunded" to increase the LAPD budget is not accurate. Both got increases due to salary hikes. LAFD's deal just happened after the budget process -- LAPD's was before.

I went by one of the former Skid Row Housing Trust buildings that was sold to a developer. Two tenants were locked out because their keycards failed, one with a dog in his room. There would be no staff on site for two days. They were all being evicted due to black mold. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Wrote about the guy who went around setting all the fires bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-arsoni...

A mosaic of cult leader/mass murderer Jim Jones has been up outside an L.A. elementary school for almost two years with no explanation. A couple weeks ago I finally found the guy who made it. He told me the whole story. lamaterial.com/p/mosaic-of-...

How much did it cost Fiverr to get space on public land to put up a humongous ad over one of the busiest freeways in America all week? $1526 lamaterial.com/p/the-story-...

The kid (me) went and did his first newsletter for @lamaterial.bsky.social I found some self-described cult members in a parking lot and they told me how to get famous by destroying an apartment in a historic building. lamaterial.com/p/the-cult-t...

For about a year I've been working with some of the best reporters and editors in L.A. to build a brand new city news outlet. It launches tomorrow. Is it possible to operate a sustainable local journalism business in 2026? Let me know! lamaterial.com

Hosting a show about LA and how it works at the Elysian this Saturday. Please don't make me tell you again www.elysiantheater.com/shows/lapowe...

NEW: They Call Him "Brave Hayes": Local Intellectual Watches All Three Hours of Rick Caruso's Appearances on Both Joe Rogan and Sam Harris bigcityheat.substack.com/p/rogancarus...

LA leaders have said the fires could have been prevented if LAFD hadn't been defunded. But also: new reports say LAFD kept dozens of trucks and 1,000 firefighters off duty during the high winds. What really happened? You might never find out. Sorry! bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-questi...

Wrote about the guy who went around setting all the fires bigcityheat.substack.com/p/the-arsoni...

Since I'm seeing it everywhere: I worked in LA City Hall when the budget passed. Our office voted No. But the idea that LAFD was "defunded" to increase the LAPD budget is not accurate. Both got increases due to salary hikes. LAFD's deal just happened after the budget process -- LAPD's was before.

Took a shot at recapping THE YEAR IN LA. That's me in the picture right after I finished. bigcityheat.substack.com/p/a-nervous-...