Ralph Vartabedian

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Ralph Vartabedian

The Trump administration's plan, announced this week, to terminate $4 billion in grants to California's bullet train project could delay the start of even limited passenger operations on the nation's largest infrastructure project for what some analysts said could be as long as a decade.

Feb 25, 2025 | sanjoseinside.com | Ralph Vartabedian

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced an investigation into how California is spending a $3.1 billion federal grant for a high-speed rail, citing “mismanagement” of a project that he said was “severely — no pun intended — off track.”“The project is not going to happen,” Duffy said at a news conference at Los Angeles Union Station.

Feb 21, 2025 | businessandamerica.com | Ralph Vartabedian

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy lashed out on Thursday at “mismanagement” in California’s troubled high-speed rail project, announcing an investigation into how the state was spending a $3.1 billion federal grant on a project that he said was “severely — no pun intended — off track.”In a letter to the state High Speed Rail Authority, the Federal Railroad Administration said it would conduct inspections, review activities and examine financial records.

Aug 30, 2024 | gvwire.com | Ralph Vartabedian

LOS ANGELES — Jose Huizar’s downfall at Los Angeles City Hall was as stunning as his rise to success, a political tragedy that, like many in the land of dreams, has become a familiar one. Over the last 10 years, 576 public officials in California have been convicted on federal corruption charges, according to Justice Department reports.

Aug 29, 2024 | seattletimes.com | Ralph Vartabedian

LOS ANGELES — Jose Huizar’s downfall at Los Angeles City Hall was as stunning as his rise to success, a political tragedy that, like many in the land of dreams, has become a familiar one. Born to a large family in rural Mexico and raised in poverty near the towering high-rises of downtown Los Angeles, he overcame enormous odds to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University and UCLA law school.