The goal is to improve the downtown experience by 2028 by "linking key locations with safer, cleaner, and greener streets, parks, public spaces, and transit hubs"
On Tuesday, Casey Wasserman arrived in Milan, where he delivered the LA28 update at the kickoff to the Winter Games. "We agree to shared rules, we agree to respect them, and we agree that the same standards apply to everyone," LA28's chair said, standing before a giant screen that flashed with photos and videos from Los Angeles's century-long Olympics history. Also on the stage was IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who had just fielded questions about Wasserman's association with Jeffrey Epstein in the latest Department of Justice drop, specifically, the emails he exchanged with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Then, hours later, the Los Angeles Timespublished a story by Dakota Smith with this quote from LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn: "I think Casey Wasserman needs to step down. Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028."
Here is the complete list of everyone who has called for the LA28 chair to resign, with links to their statements (this list is being updated):
West Hollywood Councilmember John Erickson, who is introducing a resolution calling on Wasserman to resign
10 state legislators who sit on the legislature's 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games committee, including Asm. Josh Lowenthal, Asm. Nick Schultz, and Asm. Mark Gonzalez
One elected official who is not calling for Wasserman to step down is LA Mayor Karen Bass: "As Los Angeles prepares to take the world stage and welcome the world for the Olympic Games for the third time and the Paralympics for the first, it is critical to be 100% focused on making our city shine and ensuring the 2028 Games are the best in Los Angeles’ history. Ultimately, any decision on the LA28 leadership must be made by the LA28 Board. As you know, they are a separate and independent nonprofit organization."
Major update: After deflecting to the board, who opted to keep him in power, Bass told CNN on February 16 that Casey Wasserman should resign as LA28 chair: "I cannot fire him. I do have an opinion. My opinion is that he should step down. That's not the opinion of the board." (I've also shared this clip on Instagram.)
"I cannot fire him. I do have an opinion. My opinion is that he should step down. That's not the opinion of the board."
Note also that the LA28 board includes three of Bass's appointees: attorney Matt Johnson, developer Jaime Lee, and LA County Federation of Labor head Yvonne Wheeler
The Fair Games coalition is gathered outside LA28’s headquarters in South Park calling for Casey Wasserman to resign, drawing attention to the board’s MAGA appointees, and demanding that ICE leave LA — and Milan, where the Winter Olympics begin today
Wasserman's clients are also starting to speak out. Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino issued a statement: "I have asked to remove my name and band's name from the company site. The position Casey Wasserman has put his agents in is inexcusable. This is a call for him to step down and a change of business name be imminent." Wasserman lost Billie Eilish as a client due to other allegations in 2024, right after she performed in the Paris closing ceremonies. Although, as I pointed out then, there's something else to keep an eye on here: how Wasserman is promoting his own clients through Olympics-related deals. Updated: On Sunday evening The Wrapreported that a group of Wasserman music agents delivered Wasserman an ultimatum: "sell them the music business and leave or they will leave the agency." On Monday evening, Chappell Roan, arguably one of the world's biggest stars, announced she was no longer represented by Wasserman: "I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well. No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values." Billboard is updating a list of all Wasserman client statements. I feel like at this point I should also start a playlist. On the athlete side of the business, soccer star Abby Wambach has left the Wasserman Agency.
Major update: On February 13, Wasserman announced he's putting his entire agency up for sale to "devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city."
I've continued to add to my thread on Bluesky, which has been shared over 400 times. I'll also keep updating this list — and if you are an elected or organization who wants to share a statement, you know where to find me. For more analysis — including details about the LA28 emergency board meeting and the reaction to Wasserman's announcement — head to the next Hot Links. 🔥
Welcome to Hot Links — my retooled breaking news feature. How this works: paid subscribers can come to Torched anytime during the week where you'll have access to the latest headlines, commentary, and analysis — updated daily! Then, at the end of the week, I'll edit the items, bump the timestamp, drop the paywall, and blast it out to everyone as my standard roundup newsletter. Think of it as getting a peek at my reporter's notebook as the news happens. Should you be a Bluesky user, the 🦋 will always take you to a thread I reported that you can share. Let me know how I can make your Torched experience even better!
Don't worry, this is normal for soccer
More out-of-state LA28 venues have been announced — six stadiums will host soccer matches in New York City (not yet built lol), Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, San Diego. Finals are still at the Rose Bowl. There's also a possibility that these matches will begin long before the opening ceremonies, something else that’s been hinted at by organizers. While this announcement was not a surprise — soccer requires more stadiums than LA has available; this was also what was done in 1984 — the timing seemed intentional to purge the news cycle; see above. 🦋
What happened to LA 2.0? You remember, don't you? Gavin Newsom stood in a still-smoldering Altadena and promised a "Marshall plan" for rebuilding — an "LA 2.0" using upcoming megaevents as a timeline; the "spirit that comes from not just hosting those three iconic games and venues," but also the "opportunity to rebuild at the same time." Has anyone seen that? No? Not even an LA 1.5? Newsom then launched his fire-recovery fund LA Rises, also framed around megaevents, with Casey Wasserman, Magic Johnson, and Dodgers owner Mark Walter — who promised $100 million. One year later, LA Rises has delivered only $20 million, including only $7.8 million out of a promised $100 million from Walter.
🚠 The gondola being built to link the Milan-Cortina venues is still not finished — I really thought they'd make it, you guys! This part though: organizers had to "request school closures to ease the pressure on the Dolomite resort's transport system"
🇭🇷 Here's some nifty news from the One • Five: I'm hearing that the same West Harbor site that will host a World Cup fan zone this summer will also host the Croatia hospitality house in 2028. This is what I want to see more of: the same community spaces activated for two (or three!) summers
This edition of Hot Links was created on February 1, 2026 and was regularly updated throughout the week with the latest news
I never miss an opportunity to see the work of the irrepressible Peter Shire, the Memphis Group artist who supplied essential vibes for the look and feel of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Shire has a new show — The Answer is 'Yes' — currently up at downtown's Art/Space 114 through April 4 that features some of that work. As you delight in Shire's furniture — and those spatter-painted mugs! — be sure to head up to the second floor to see a gallery of photos by the great Gary Leonard which capture Shire's behind-the-scenes process on the Olympic Village at UCLA, including the torch lamps — which you can still sometimes find, if you're lucky.
"Emails and internal spreadsheets obtained by L.A. Reported through public records requests reveal how city attorneys, police officers, and city council and department staff manipulate shade — a too-rare public resource in Los Angeles that is seldom thought of until we need it — to move people where it wants them. Their goal: to curb so-called quality-of-life infractions that are blamed for making neighborhoods feel unsafe." A new piece in the new local publication LA Reported by Torched Talks guest Sam Bloch
My LA Podcast co-host Mike Bonin raising the alarm about the policing style of LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell as we head into our megaevent era: "With the World Cup weeks away and the 2028 Olympics around the corner, time is running out to rein in McDonnell. Unless the mayor and more elected officials speak out and act, Los Angeles risks a future where warrior policing dominates, civilian oversight and sanctuary policies are hollow, and the Olympics become a pretext for permanent militarization"
“The turning point really was the Olympics. That soccer was so successful in the Olympics, that’s when FIFA thought maybe we could bring our crown jewel to the United States and not be embarrassed." Alan Rothenburg is the lawyer who brought soccer to the 1984 games and the 1994 World Cup to the U.S
Here's me getting into it (actually just talking excitedly about congestion pricing) with Eli at the Road to 2028, thanks LACI for inviting me!
It was great to join Move LA's Eli Lipmen and Ciclavia's Romel Pascual onstage at LACI's annual summit. I loved doing this interview with franknews, thanks so much to Noelle Forougi for asking such great questions. And a reminder about next week's UCLA talk, Wednesday, February 11 at 10:30 a.m.; here's where to watch it live! Be sure to catch Metro's Seleta Reynolds and Investing in Place's Jessica Meaney (coming up on February 18) from the same series. And, as a general reminder, I co-host LA Podcast, a weekly news and politics show for Angelenos. And you better bet we'll be talking about a lot of these topics this week. New episodes drop Monday!
🧨 LA's megaevent scene is heating up! I need your tips! Email: Simply reply to this one. Text: 323 207 5607 — save it in your phone as Torched Tips. Or Signal: awalkerinla.99
The goal is to improve the downtown experience by 2028 by "linking key locations with safer, cleaner, and greener streets, parks, public spaces, and transit hubs"
Alissa Walker
Alissa Walker
