In Los Angeles, the clock is ticking down, faster and faster it seems, to July 14th, 2028. That’s the opening day of the Summer Olympics Games, followed shortly by the Paralympic Games. And as that date draws closer, the scale of the challenges that face Los Angeles to get ready is starting to sink in.

Three years before the Games, ambitious promises have been scaled back, supplanted by obstacles that are threatening to undercut preparations for an event that would test this city’s wits and resources even in the best of times.