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Laura J. Nelson on Muck Rack

Laura J. Nelson

Verified
Los Angeles
As seen in: The Wall Street Journal, MSN, Yahoo Entertainment, Yahoo Life, Scribd, Yahoo Canada, Yahoo News, Yahoo News New Zealand, Aol, Daily Pilot, Los Angeles Times and
Covers:  California, politics, campaign finance, wealth, philanthropy
Wall Street Journal reporter in Los Angeles. Proud Kansan, @latimes and USC alum. laura.nelson@wsj.com, Signal: ljn.11

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Laura J. Nelson’s Biography

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Laura is an enterprise reporter in The Wall Street Journal's Los Angeles bureau, focusing on politics and wealth in California.

She previously was a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, where she worked for more than 13 years as an enterprise and investigative reporter and as a beat reporter covering transportation and politics. She has profiled Golden State power brokers and scrutinized major public policies and political campaigns, including races for California governor, the U.S. House of…

Laura J. Nelson’s Journalist Portfolio

The Undoing of Eric Swalwell

The Undoing of Eric Swalwell

The former Congressman from California and darling of the anti-Trump resistance secured endorsements from som…

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California Billionaires Are Spending Big in Costly Wealth-Tax Fight

California Billionaires Are Spending Big in Costly Wealth-Tax Fight

Funded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin and other tech elites who oppose a wealth tax, campaigns are paying $…

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The Hardest Part About Being a Billionaire in California: Proving You Left

The Hardest Part About Being a Billionaire in California: Proving You Left

Advisers recommend leaving breadcrumbs, like a ‘we’ve moved’ note on the Christmas card, and you really do ha…

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How Insurance Led Two L.A. Communities to Take Different Paths After the Fires

How Insurance Led Two L.A. Communities to Take Different Paths After the Fires

Residents of neighboring Pacific Palisades condo communities learned after the devastating Los Angeles fires …

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He's terminally single and getting old. What's next for P-22, L.A.'s favorite wild bachelor?

He's terminally single and getting old. What's next for P-22, L.A.'s favorite wild bachelor?

Scientists caution against anthropomorphizing P-22, but Angelenos can’t help but see themselves in the big ca…

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California's yoga, wellness and spirituality community has a QAnon problem

California's yoga, wellness and spirituality community has a QAnon problem

A world that has long embraced love, light and acceptance is now making room for something else: QAnon.

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Articles

OpenAI President Backs Out of Pledged $25 Million Donation to AI Super PAC

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By Maxwell Zeff Verified, Laura J. Nelson Verified
| The Wall Street Journal Verified
Greg Brockman has faced backlash from employees who support stronger AI regulations OpenAI co-founder and President Greg Brockman told employees he won’t make a pledged multimillion-dollar donation to a political group working to elect members of Congress who support pro-artificial intelligence policies. Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to Leading the Future last September, and had committed to contributing another $25 million in 2026.
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Facing Congressional Scrutiny, Flock Details New Search Guardrails

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By Laura J. Nelson Verified
| The Wall Street Journal Verified
Company tells Congress it is mandating standardized search categories and cutting default data storage to address privacy concerns Flock Safety told the U.S. Senate that it has tightened the requirements for police officers and other users to access and search its database of billions of license plates amid growing concerns about misuse of its divisive product.
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Red and Blue America Have Found Something to Agree on: Flock Cameras Must Go

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By Laura J. Nelson Verified, Kris Maher Verified
| The Wall Street Journal Verified
In the liberal Blue Ridge Mountains city of Asheville, N.C., progressives fear the Trump administration could use Flock Safety cameras to spy on political dissidents, transgender residents and undocumented immigrants. In the foothills 95 miles south, Republicans in conservative Oconee County, S.C., view the same AI-enabled license-plate readers as a threat to constitutional privacy rights and have even read aloud from the Federalist Papers at tense public meetings.
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See all 720 licensed articles (1,774 Total)

Awards

Pulitzer Prize

2016 - Breaking News

Member of the Los Angeles Times team honored for our coverage of the San Bernardino terror attack that killed 16 people

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Pulitzer Prize

2020 - Breaking News, finalist

Member of the Los Angeles Times team honored for our coverage of a fire on a diving boat that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara

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