Democracy in Crisis: Yet More Examples of How the Far Right Acts as a 'Bridge Phenomenon' for White Supremacists

Monday, October 16, 2017  |  Baynard Woods

In a tax speech in Pennsylvania on Oct. 11, President Trump gave a shout out to "the great Jeffrey Lord.”

He went on to explain that Lord “was on fake news CNN for a long time. He was one of my few sources of truth."

CNN severed ties with Lord after he tweeted “sieg heil,” a Nazi salutation.

Trump’s fl...

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Influence 101: Big Oil Puts Democratic Lawmakers-Turned-Lobbyists Through the Revolving Door

Tuesday, October 10, 2017  |  Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters

Inside the California Assembly chamber on the night of June 1, the presiding officer urged lawmakers to recognize former members in their midst, “the honorable Henry Perea and Felipe Fuentes.”

In a familiar Capitol ritual, the former assemblymen waved from the balcony as applause rang out from their ...

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The Poorest State: Sky-High Housing Costs Mean California Has the Country's Highest Poverty Rate

Friday, October 06, 2017  |  Matt Levin, CALMatters

California leads the nation once again in a statistic no state wants to boast about.

When the cost of living is factored in, the Golden State has the highest poverty rate in the country. More than 20 percent of its residents struggle to make ends meet, according to recently released Census figures . Th...

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Community Voices: Statues Marking the History of the West Aren't Without Legitimate Controversy

Thursday, October 12, 2017  |  Andy Gulliford, High Country News

It has happened again. Near Española, N.M., the monumental statue of Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Oñate has been attacked.

Though Oñate rides his horse behind a tall metal fence, someone painted his booted right foot blood red and spray-painted “Remember 1680” on a nearby wall.

In the culturally d...

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The Weekly Independent Comics Page for Oct. 12, 2017!

Thursday, October 12, 2017  |  Staff

On this week's fall-tinged weekly Independent comics page: Jen Sorenson looks behind the conspiracy theories; The K Chronicles takes a survey; This Modern World talks to a gun nut; Apoca Clips listens in as Trumpy and Pence talk strategy; and Red Meat gets ready for bed.

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Ask a Mexican: Is Racism Keeping Tom Flores Out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Wednesday, October 11, 2017  |  Gustavo Arellano

Dear Mexican: I’m very bothered by the fact that football player/coach Tom Flores is not in the Hall of Fame.

I could go on and on as to why Mr. Flores should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but I will provide you and your readers with only three incontrovertible facts. First, Tom Flores coached...

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Boxer, Felon, Performer: Mike Tyson Brings His One-Man Show, 'Undisputed Truth,' to Morongo

Friday, October 13, 2017  |  Brian Blueskye

As a professional boxer, Mike Tyson had a most interesting career. However, his life after boxing has been downright fascinating.

Despite an impressive boxing record of 50-6 and a stint as the undisputed heavyweight champion, Tyson’s career was marred by controversy—most notably the fact that he bit ...

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Midcentury Mecca: Palm Springs Architecture Shines During Modernism Week's Fall Preview

Monday, October 09, 2017  |  Dwight Hendricks

A lot of historical quirks went into making Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley the tourism mecca that it is today.

In the big-studio era of Hollywood, actors were contractually required to stay within two hours or 100 or so miles of the studio … which helped make this a haven for stars who wanted ...

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Locals on Display: The PSAM Artists Council Shows the Works of Its Talented, Up-and-Coming Members

Tuesday, October 03, 2017  |  William Bryan Rooney

Imagine if what you did every day for work was constantly being judged and juried. Unless you were a criminal on trial, it might feel unnatural.

But for an artist, being judged and juried can be a welcome experience. That is why more than 300 artists submitted their original works for consideration f...

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Home Video Review: Adam Sandler Delivers Oscar-Worthy Work in Netflix's 'The Meyerowitz Stories'—Seriously!

Monday, October 16, 2017  |  Bob Grimm

Writer-director Noah Baumbach delivers his best movie yet with The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), his latest story of family dysfunction—which serves as yet another reminder that Adam Sandler can be a knockout actor when he puts his mind to it.

Sandler plays Danny, older brother to Matthew (Ben...

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A Masterful Follow-Up: 'Blade Runner 2049' More Than Does Its Predecessor Justice

Thursday, October 12, 2017  |  Bob Grimm

Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner came out in 1982—35 years ago. Scott has tooled around with the movie numerous times, resulting in a final cut that was released about 10 years ago.

While there was a lot of monkeying around (in a good way) with the original, it didn’t seem there was much ...

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Not Quite Legendary: The Infamous King-Riggs Match Gets a Merely So-So Treatment With 'Battle of the Sexes'

Thursday, October 12, 2017  |  Bob Grimm

Usually reliable directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Farris ( Little Miss Sunshine , Ruby Sparks ) somehow manage to make the story of Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs’ infamous early 1970s tennis match quite boring.

In Battle of the Sexes , King is played by Emma Stone, who brings a nice warmth to the r...

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Twisted in His Own Way: Jesse Blaze Snider Is a Possible Highlight at the Desert Moon Metal Fest

Tuesday, October 17, 2017  |  Brian Blueskye

Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider is a fiery, creative force—and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: The same can be said about his son, Jesse Blaze Snider.

Jesse Blaze Snider has found success in many different areas of the entertainment industry, and is slated to bring his show to the Desert...

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Live: Gorillaz at The Forum, Oct. 5

Monday, October 09, 2017  |  Brian Blueskye

When Gorillaz—a “virtual” band featuring four animated members—released its first, self-titled album in 2001, I didn’t know what to think about it.

Now two decades into Gorillaz’s existence, many people still don’t know what to think about Gorillaz, which was founded by Damon Albarn of the Britpop ba...

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Laura Palmer Won't Be Present: Twin Peaks Performs at Desert Daze in Joshua Tree

Friday, October 06, 2017  |  Brian Blueskye

The band is called Twin Peaks. Is the name related to that awesome David Lynch show?

Nope. Twin Peaks is named after … a Texas based sports bar and restaurant chain?

Yep. After turning in awesome performances at Coachella in April, the Chicago natives will be performing at Desert Daze in Joshua Tree o...

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Vine Social: Local Tips and Tricks on How to Behave at a Wine-Tasting

Monday, October 16, 2017  |  Katie Finn

One of the best perks of being a sommelier is that I get paid to drink. In fact, it’s expected that I drink—specifically, that I taste everything I can, as often as I can. And I happily oblige.

This beautiful thing called wine is an ever-changing and ever-evolving experience, and the only way to truly ...

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The Indy Endorsement: The Sushi Boat at Hamachi Sushi

Wednesday, October 11, 2017  |  Jimmy Boegle

What: The Sushi Boat

Where: Hamachi Sushi, 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 11, Cathedral City

How much: $14.99

Contact: 760-832-6160; www.hamachisushicc.com

Why: It’s a great value—and it’s delicious.

It was a Friday, around lunchtime. I was at Date Palm Drive and Ramon Road in Cathedral City to check the Independen...

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The Beer Goddess: My Suggestions on Great Beers to Enjoy While Celebrating Oktoberfest

Saturday, September 30, 2017  |  Erin Peters

Bier ist gut. For those who don’t know German, here’s a rough translation: Beer frickin’ rocks.

It’s the 184th anniversary of Oktoberfest in Munich. In the 1800s, some beer-loving members of the German royalty decided to get hitched—and that’s how we ended up with the rich, amber and copper seasonals t...

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