Karen Bass' brother sues her city

Good morning, it’s Wednesday June 10 and you can expect a real summer day (mid 80s). 

When I called up a source this week to tell them about the news we are publishing today, the person on the other end of the phone gasped.

Here's the story: As Mayor Karen Bass fights for reelection, her own brother is suing the city his sister leads.

Bass’ older brother, whose home burned down in the Palisades fire, last month joined a lawsuit accusing officials of creating dangerous conditions that led to the deadly 2025 blaze. I discovered the suit, which has not been reported before, when checking dockets of various cases that I routinely monitor in the local and federal court system — the humdrum work of being a journalist.

On one level, this lawsuit is procedural. The litigation over the Palisades fire — in which property owners have sued the city, the State of California and various telecommunications companies — has been pending for more than a year, with more and more residents joining the sprawling case as it moves through Los Angeles Superior Court. Kenneth Bass and his wife, Cindy, are just two of thousands who lost their homes and are pursuing their right for fair and just compensation.

Jennifer Gray Thompson, founder of the nonprofit After The Fire USA, which supports cities and fire survivors in recovery after wildfires, told me: “I don’t think he has any choice."

But Kenneth Bass is no ordinary plaintiff. His younger sister is the mayor of the nation's second-largest city, and her administration's response to the Palisades fire has, for better and for worse, defined much of her tenure as she seeks reelection.

Worried that L.A.'s party scene is in decline? There might be some parties you don't know about.

In a new L.A. Material exclusive, contributor Arielle Dachille boarded a yacht docked at an undisclosed location to attend a murder mystery soiree with a twist: a lot of sex.

The event was a "play party," hosted by one of several L.A. clubs dedicated to providing inclusive spaces for people to make consensual, intimate connections — in this case while in character. Dachille spoke to party guests like “Katya Dikov," “Ram Dat-ASS,” and “Ser Ignacius Whoredini” about the perils and pleasures of play parties — and why they might be an antidote to the apps.

IT’S OFFICIAL: Republican Steve Hilton clinched the second spot in the California governor’s face and will face Democrat Xavier Becerra on the November ballot, positioning Becerra to likely be California’s first Latino governor in the modern era.

TRUST FUND ACCESS: Nick Reiner is fighting to get access to his trust fund to pay his legal fees, according to court filings. Charged with killing his parents Rob and Michele Reiner, the 32-year-old pleaded not guilty earlier this year.