By Anabel Sosa | LA Times SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a package of 10 bills meant to combat retail theft, an effort that divided Democrats as they confronted key issues in the upcoming November election. The legislation has been the focus of intense political debate all year, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders responding to the pressure created by a tough-on-crime ballot measure that would stiffen penalties for retail theft. Democratic leaders were hopeful their bills could sway prosecutors to drop the measure, but negotiations collapsed, leaving California with two different visions for addressing crime. The district…
Author: SBE Staff
By Keri Blakinger | LA Times Four months after California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced a slew of felony charges against a top advisor to the Los Angeles County district attorney, state prosecutors this week dropped three of the 11 counts but still pushed forward toward a trial. Diana Teran, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department advisor who later oversaw ethics and integrity operations at the D.A.’s office, is accused of illegally using confidential personnel records. State prosecutors allege Teran broke the law three years ago when she flagged several sheriff’s deputies’ names for possible inclusion on an internal…
Groundbreaking partnership urges voters of color to “vote themselves a raise” this election season with performances by top recording artists including Doug E. Fresh, Raheem DeVaughn, Charles Jenkins, and Lecrae CHICAGO – One Fair Wage (OFW) and Black Voters Matter (BVM), leading national non-profit organizations dedicated to uplifting the fair wages, voter turnout, and voices of low-income communities and communities of color, have announced an invigorating program titled Raise the Wage. “Our national movement to increase wages for millions of workers and people of color is at a pivotal moment of opportunity, and these concerts call attention to the urgent…
By Richard Winton | LA Times FBI agents and Los Angeles County deputies fanned out across the city early Tuesday, raiding 30 homes linked to the South L.A. gang Florencia 13, which was responsible for the 2022 killing of a Los Angeles police officer. Hours after the arrest of dozens of Los Angeles gang members, prosecutors unsealed indictments charging 37 people associated with Florencia 13 alleging a series of crimes, including fentanyl trafficking, extortion and three slayings — including that of a man beaten to death outside a bar in the gang’s “territory.” The gang, which dates back some 70…
TNT Sports and Charles Barkley today reaffirmed his long-term commitment that will see the broadcasting icon and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer exclusively contribute to TNT Sports for many years to come. “I love my TNT Sports family. My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future,” said Barkley.…
Nathan Hochman, the former federal prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney General who is running to unseat D.A. George Gascon and restore public safety in L.A. County, has a massive fundraising lead over Gascon, according to newly filed campaign finance disclosure statements. Hochman raised an impressive $1.56 million between Feb. 18 and June 30, and his campaign had more than $1.1 million cash on hand as of June 30, public records show. Gascon raised a paltry $166,000 during the same period and had just $46,000 in the bank. Hochman received donations from nearly five times as many individual donors as Gascon. The fundraising success…
After a months-long campaign by the residents of Ladera Heights, View Park and Windsor Hills – three, long-established, predominantly African-American communities on the westside of Los Angeles – to secure an in-person meeting with LA County to address the devastating impacts of the recently-released Draft Westside Area Plan (“WSAP”) on their neighborhoods, the County has finally relented. A large turnout is expected for the community meeting, now scheduled for August 1, 2024 at 6:00 pm at Knox Presbyterian Church, 5840 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. As drafted, the County’s current zoning proposals would dramatically alter the character and livability…
The Grace Yoo for Los Angeles City Council campaign proudly announces a significant fundraising milestone in her campaign to be the next councilmember for Council District 10. According to the latest campaign finance report, Yoo has outraised her opponent Heather Hutt 2-to-1 in the reporting period that ended on June 30, 2024. Yoo’s campaign amassed an impressive $161,001.00, compared to her opponent’s $82,594.01. Grace Yoo expressed her gratitude to her supporters, stating, “I am deeply humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support from the community. Our campaign’s financial success is a testament to the shared vision we have for a…
The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) has championed a major victory for African American farmers and their families in the United States. After years of protests, lawsuits, and failed bills, the organization, led by President John Boyd, has successfully secured a $2.2 billion payout for discrimination in farm lending from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This historic payout comes as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Section 22007, signed into law by President Biden nearly two years ago. Boyd reflects on the long and difficult road to this victory, stating, “No matter how it is sliced, the $2.2 billion in payouts is…
By David Lightman and Matthew Miranda | Sacramento Bee Amid pledges for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants by presidential candidate Donald Trump, a new study has highlighted the increasingly positive economic effects of this community. The report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington-based progressive research group, found undocumented immigrants nationwide paid an estimated $96.7 billion in taxes in 2022. About $37.3 billion was spent on state and local taxes, and the rest went to federal taxes. California’s economy particularly benefits from the undocumented workforce. The population paid an estimated $8.5 billion in state and local taxes…