Carly Fiorina, Faking Tragedy, and Making L.A.: Civic Engagement

The GOP has Silicon Valley on its mind when it comes to fundraising. According to a new analysis by the LA Times, the Bay Area beats out both Los Angeles and Orange County when it comes to donations to Republican candidates.

And there is one presidential candidate with a storied Silicon Valley history, Carly Fiorina, who will take the stage at tonight’s GOP debate. The other candidates have already begun to attack her business record in the tech industry.

Then, new numbers from the Census today are providing something of a reality check when it comes to the economy. Median income last year didn’t budge from the previous year, and it’s the same story with poverty. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is meeting to decide whether or not to raise interest rates.

And are Angelenos really engaged—like New Yorkers or Chicagoans—in trying to make our city a better place to live? According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Los Angeles ranks near the bottom when compared to volunteerism in other big cities.

Finally, for more than a decade, comedian Steve Rannazzisi has been repeating a dramatic story about narrowly escaping the World Trade Center on 9/11. One problem: His 9/11 story isn’t true. Rannazzisi admitted in a statement yesterday that he was not at the World Trade Center that day, but working in midtown Manhattan. What motivates these kinds of falsehoods?