By: Joyce Cutler | Bloomberg Law Southern California plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Geragos sued the Los Angeles Times, alleging the newspaper defamed him in a series of stories over a $17.5 million settlement for Armenian genocide insurance cases. The lawsuit filed against the Times and three reporters comes one year after the newspaper ran stories that Geragos alleges defamed him and painted him in a false light. Geragos and Brian Kabateck were two of the lawyers involved in groundbreaking cases that allowed Armenians to recover insurance payments for the deaths of their family members killed in a genocide that ravaged their country more…
Author: SBE Staff
Black Tech Week, the iconic inclusion-focused tech conference acquired in early 2022 by economic impact organization Lightship Foundation, will return to Cincinnati from July 18–20. Lightship’s inaugural BTW event was highlighted by keynote speaker Serena Williams and drew nearly 1,500 startup founders, investors, creatives and trendspotters to Cincinnati last summer over three days of interactive programming and network building. Black Tech Week combines growth-focused content with strategic amplification and advocacy for tech entrepreneurs of color. The event hosts curated social events and startup growth-focused programming, which includes sessions led by professionals specializing in small-business law, marketing, Web3, board selection and more…
By: John Seiler | California Political Review We’re still struggling with the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic — and what was done to get through it. To cite just one effect, one of my favorite restaurants, the Katella Grill in Anaheim, had a rough time through the total lockdown: tented dining, then trying to reopen indoors, finally closing a year ago after 30 years serving the county’s best liver and onions. I recently drove by there and in the entrance slept a homeless man. On the global picture, we’re now getting some good national studies. They compare the states, which…
On Saturday, March 25, 2023, Black Business Association (BBA) President and CEO Sarah R. Harris will host its 20th annual event celebrating phenomenal Black women at the 2023 Salute to Black Women Business Conference, Vendor Faire & Awards Luncheon in recognition of the National Women’s History Month and its 2023 theme, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Taking place at the Hyatt Regency LAX, 6225 West Century Blvd., this inspiring annual celebration not only educates and motivates attendees but annually attracts hundreds of women entrepreneurs, executives, community leaders, elected officials, mothers, daughters, and sisters for high-level networking. BBA is elated to salute the following women who exemplify excellence in “telling their stories”: Mayor Karen…
‘Enough — it’s hurting our business’: SoFi’s campaign to stop the student-loan payment pause that helps its own customers By: Jillian Berman | MarketWatch In 2018, a group of recent student loan borrowers gathered on a rooftop at a swanky hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to celebrate paying off their debt. A sign that read “Welcome, you’ve made it,” greeted the revelers when they stepped off the elevator 22 floors up. For a few hours, partygoers mingled, drank cocktails and posed for photos illuminated by ring light with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. The party was hosted by SoFi, the…
Operation HOPE’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, John Hope Bryant, was presented a Resolution in the House Chamber during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. State Representative Dexter Sharper applauded Bryant for his ongoing efforts to empower underserved communities through financial literacy and other programs to help build generational wealth. Bryant was also recognized as an American entrepreneur, thought leader, and philanthropist. He was joined by family members and the HOPE leadership team. Operation HOPE’s mission is to disrupt poverty for millions of low and moderate-income families across the nation with a focus on financial dignity and inclusion. The Atlanta-based organization provides communities with free credit and…
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 77 months in federal prison for committing six armed robberies of local businesses, mostly 7-Eleven stores, during a two-week crime spree in late 2021. Colin Powell Lacey, 29, of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. Lacey pleaded guilty in August 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act). From November 13, 2021, to November 29, 2021, Lacey participated in the robbery of six businesses – five of which were 7-Eleven convenience…
Re: Op-Ed “Who Killed Silicon Valley Bank?” Dear Wall Street Journal Editors: Every day, there is new analysis or additional opinions on the cause of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). SVB has played a foundational role in the infrastructure of the venture capital industry for decades. In fact, SVB’s failure was the second-largest bank failure in all of U.S. history. On Sunday, March 12th, the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, and the FDIC took unprecedented measures to guarantee the $175 billion in deposits at the time of failure, way beyond what is required by the FDIC. This action demonstrated to the world…
LOS ANGELES – Authorities this morning arrested a Woodland Hills man on federal charges that allege he was extorting “protection” money from Koreatown businesses, sometimes using acts of violence against individuals who refused to pay. Daekun Cho, 38, was arrested by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department pursuant to a federal criminal complaint filed last week. The complaint charges Cho with interference with commerce by threats or violence. Cho is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The federal investigation in this…
With only a few hours’ notice, District Attorney George Gascón canceled a meeting that his staff had scheduled a week ago with the Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the request by the ADDA to reconsider his decision to dissolve the Victim Impact Program (VIP). VIP is a division of specially trained attorneys who prosecute the most sensitive cases in the office, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, elder abuse, child abuse, hate crimes, sex crimes, and stalking. Gascón’s planned reorganization would reduce the number of experienced lawyers handling these cases. “This decision…