By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents declined Thursday to move forward on a bold plan to hire immigrant students who lack legal work authorization, crushing the hopes of thousands of young people seeking to escape precarious futures without adequate access to jobs and research opportunities. UC President Michael V. Drake told regents he would not recommend a proposed plan to challenge federal law barring employment of those without legal status because the potential consequences were too risky to UC students, families and staff. UC students could be subject to deportation, employees could risk civil and criminal prosecution if they…
Author: SBE Staff
The Ford Foundation announced its latest round of grants for independent documentary film. With a storied history of funding social impact films for nearly 75 years, the foundation houses JustFilms, one of the largest documentary funds in the world and a part of the Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) program. Now in its thirteenth year, JustFilms is one of the few philanthropies making direct grants for independent documentary content. In its most recent round of grants, it provided over $4.2 million to support 59 innovative film projects centered on social justice globally and in the United States. From this allocation, the 59 documentary…
By Andrew Sheeler Could a five-year-old California law soon go national? Not if Republicans have their way. Assembly Republicans and U.S. House Rep. Kevin Kiley gathered on the Capitol steps in Sacramento Tuesday to rail against AB 5, the 2019 law that sought to prevent misclassification of regular employees as independent contractors, thus denying them legally required wages and benefits. AB 5 has been a bugbear on the right ever since California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law, and now the U.S. Department of Labor, which is run by acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, formerly the secretary of the…
By Christi Carras A former employee of World Wrestling Entertainment has sued the company, its embattled founder, Vince McMahon, and its former head of talent relations John Laurinaitis for sexual assault, trafficking and emotional abuse. Janel Grant filed the complaint Thursday in Connecticut, accusing McMahon of coercing her into a “sexual relationship,” sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of her with male colleagues and subjecting her to “increasingly depraved sexual demands” — including forcing her into “sexual encounters” with Laurinaitis and others — while she was employed at the company. The 67-page lawsuit arrived months after McMahon unexpectedly returned as chairman of WWE.…
By Doug Smith One in five women who become homeless in California flee their homes to escape violence and escalating abuse by an intimate partner, a new analysis of a statewide survey has reported. The study by the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco found that a dearth of domestic violence shelters leaves women exposed to more violence in homeless encampments. “That system is completely overwhelmed, and people are winding up in encampments,” said Margot Kushel, director of the research group and co-author of the report. Among those who reported being victims of violence in the six months before losing their…
By Keri Blakinger A Los Angeles attorney filed a petition this week asking the state to “decertify” Undersheriff April Tardy for allegedly committing perjury when she testified in court last year as a witness in a civil lawsuit about a deputy gang known as the Executioners. During sworn testimony to the Civilian Oversight Commission in 2022 — before she became the undersheriff — Tardy said she’d transferred a “shotcaller” in a deputy group after confirming he’d ordered a work slowdown at the Compton station. She walked back those statements during a civil trial a year later, when she testified as…
San Bernardino—The Labor Commissioner’s Office collected $1.1 million in wages and penalties resulting from a prevailing wage assessment against general contractor Stronghold Engineering and its subcontractor, Perry Coast Construction, both based in Riverside. The wages collected will compensate 74 workers for underpayment of prevailing wages owed for their time working at the Monterey Conference Center, as well as nearby Portola Plaza in Monterey. California Public Works laws were enacted to protect and benefit workers and the public. The laws guarantee minimum wages on publicly funded projects and provide opportunities for employment to apprentices. “The law requires that workers on construction projects financed…
By Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Writer NFL owners will vote Wednesday to award Super Bowl LXI in 2027 to Los Angeles, per league sources. The vote will be taken at the league meetings in Dallas. The game will be televised by ESPN and ABC. It will be ESPN’s first Super Bowl telecast and ABC’s first telecast of the game since Super Bowl XL in February 2006. The league will sandwich the Super Bowl between the World Cup in 2026, when Los Angeles will be one of 16 North American host cities, and the Summer Olympic Games in 2028, giving Los…
LOS ANGELES – Nathan Hochman, former federal prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney General and President of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, announced today that he filed his campaign papers with the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and is officially a candidate for L.A. County District Attorney. This morning, Hochman’s campaign also reserved over $1 million in broadcast TV advertising to reach millions of L.A. County voters for the upcoming March 5, 2024 primary election. This is yet another clear indication that Hochman continues to gain momentum as the frontrunner to enter the runoff with D.A. George Gascon and defeat him in November. Hochman’s record-setting fundraising…
Prepare for an Electrifying Night of Unforgettable Moments and a Bold Commitment to LA’s Artistic Future In what promises to be one of the most memorable events of the year, Save Our Musicians Foundation is proud to announce a night of unmatched sophistication with the legendary John Legend. Set against the backdrop of the illustrious Barker Hangar, this New Year’s Eve fundraising gala is expected to be the experience of a lifetime. A harmonious blend of music, ambiance, and cause, all dedicated to uplifting arts education in Los Angeles area public schools. Guests will be immersed in an exclusive evening…