Laura J. Nelson

Some news: Today is my first day at the Wall Street Journal! I'll be reporting from L.A., tracking big California stories and digging into the nexus between politics and tech. Really excited to get started. For coffees, tips, ideas, gossip, etc., I'm at Laura.Nelson@wsj.com.

Wow, I think this is a first for me -- two above-the-fold bylines on the front page of today's @latimes.com.

My yoga teacher mentioned tonight that he used to burn music to CDs when he taught classes in the late 2000s-early 2010s. One of the younger students said, “CDs?!!!” in such an astonished tone that if anyone needs me, I will be in my crypt

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend two days next week meeting with voters in eight rural counties in South Carolina, a key presidential primary state. www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

at what point do they let the runner-up teams start playing

I’m honestly very surprised that their most popular recipe of all time is BEEF STEW. I would read 5,000 words on this phenomenon.

Some personal news, as they say: This is my last day at the @latimes.com. Thank you, thank you to everyone who has shared their time, expertise and stories over the last 13 years, and to my kind and brilliant colleagues. Grateful doesn't even begin to cover it.

Just a PSA for anyone who likes fancy coffee table books or wants to get a jump on their holiday shopping: Taschen's ruinously great annual sale is this weekend: www.taschen.com/en/books/sale/

So hard to choose a favorite from this wonderful @NewYorker feature of New Yorkers in their living rooms, but it might be this shot of Colson Whitehead on a couch that is at least 12 feet long (but could actually be much longer!). www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

A federal judge this morning ruled in a blistering opinion that Trump’s deployment of military troops to Los Angeles was illegal www.latimes.com/california/s...

Happy tomato season to all who celebrate 🍅

I have used my free will on my first Saturday in Sacramento to try a Korean corn dog that is half mozzarella stick and also coated in hot Cheeto dust

NEW: Ratcheting up the pressure in the national fight over control of Congress, the California Legislature has approved a Nov. 4 special election in which voters will decide whether to redraw the state’s electoral lines to help Democrats. www.latimes.com/california/s...

NEWS: How Democrats plan to reshape California's congressional delegation and thwart Trump. My redistricting story with Seema Mehta -- plus an interactive map of California's proposed House districts, which would need to be approved by voters. www.latimes.com/california/s...