It's time, once again, for Torched's paid subscriber party
Let's get lit!
Torched
So LA doesn't get burned
Latest posts
Hot or Not? World Cup edition
Two experts evaluate the shade interventions at this summer's tournament
The best World Cup party was the one in your neighborhood
And 38 more reflections on LA's summer of soccer
Screen time
There was no wrong way to watch
How FIFA privatized your public pool
This isn't like rebranding a soccer field for the weekend. When it gets hot, Angelenos rely on pools to survive
Hydration break
This is my ode to public H₂O
Cheer squads
As we reach the midpoint of our World Cup journey, here's my survey of the best of LA's celebratory urbanism
Torched Talks with anti-trafficking advocates Stephanie Richard and Paloma Bustos
Join an important conversation about human rights and megaevents on June 29 at noon on Zoom
Neighborhood watch
One week in, where to go and what to do was becoming a more complicated public health assessment
As LA's parks host the World Cup, the city votes to defund them
We always knew these megaevents weren't going to fix our public spaces, but we didn't expect our councilmembers to abandon them as well
Home team advantage
The World Cup opening weekend showed us LA can have it all
The Torched guide to LA's World Cup
A mission statement, a calendar of events, and an invitation to help shine a light on LA's public spaces, public transit, and public benefits
Strike authorization
SoFi workers could walk off the job at any moment, just one week from the first World Cup match
"A very tough, one-sided agreement"
Alan Rothenberg may have brought the World Cup to the U.S. in 1994, but he's also been outspoken about the risks that cities are taking on in 2026
Why you can't call it a World Cup party
"We made our flyers. We posted it, people liked it. And then it turns out you can't mention the word 'FIFA' or the word 'World Cup.'"