"What's Jon Reading" - A Compendium Of Interesting Things I Found Online This Week While On Vacation
I am perusing the web all week, and I write about some of the things I find. But I there is so much great stuff that I do not write about, but I collect for this Saturday column. Enjoy.
This Saturday feature, which is a labor of love for me, is packed with amazing content. It’s very popular. For those of you who subscribe ($70/year, $7/month), this column is a thank you for your support of my independent work. Below the paywall are a lot of interesting things to read that you might not find online, but I did. Things you will want to read!
A couple of curated reads are above the paywall. Much more is below… Even on this lighter version as I am on vacation (in Maui!). Aloha!
THANK YOU for being part of this project and for putting a spotlight on California politics!
CALIFORNIA’S EXCUSES ARE DAMAGING FAITH IN GOVERNMENT
In this New York Times editorial (gift link), the Editorial Board argues that California’s chronically slow vote-counting process has become a failure of governance that undermines public confidence in elections. The piece notes that California once counted ballots quickly and that most other states still do, yet the state now routinely takes weeks to complete election results. While defending accessible voting, the editors contend that ballots should generally arrive by Election Day and be counted promptly. The article makes the case that efficiency, transparency, and public trust all suffer when election outcomes remain unresolved long after voters have cast their ballots. When California Democrats have lost the editorial page of their own liberal paper of record…
THE LOS ANGELES MAYOR’S RACE
In this Substack analysis, my friend and veteran political strategist Matthew Klink examines the dynamics of Los Angeles’ 2026 mayoral contest and the surprising rise of Spencer Pratt as a vehicle for voter frustration with the city’s direction. Klink argues that the race reflects deeper dissatisfaction with City Hall’s handling of homelessness, public safety, affordability, and the aftermath of the Palisades fire. While Pratt ultimately fell short of advancing, the campaign exposed significant vulnerabilities for the political establishment and demonstrated that a sizable share of Angelenos are hungry for change. The piece offers an insider’s perspective on what the results reveal about Los Angeles politics heading into November.
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