"No responsive records" of communications from active mayor during Palisades Fire, says L.A. City
On May 19th, the City of Los Angeles responded to KTLA's request for public records of the officials involved in the city's response to the Palisades fire by closing the case, saying there were 'no responsive records matching [the] search parameters.'As permitted in the California Public Records Act of 1968, KTLA had been pursuing records of communication from key officials relating to the fires just weeks after they occurred. One of the officials targeted was Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the acting mayor of the city while Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country on a visit to Ghana. The parameters established by KTLA's initial request were intentionally broad so as to cover any relevant information to the city's wildfire crisis response, seeking 'ANY digital communications (including email/ text/ WhatsApp/ or other) originating FROM or TO Harris-Dawson over a period of days'.
When the news outlet failed to receive a response, they resubmitted the request on March 11th. The city got back to them 10 days later, saying it had 'records that match [KTLA's] request and will… provide them no later than May 21, 2025.' This runs directly counter to the most recent update from Harris-Dawson's office, claiming the case would be closed because there were no relevant records. In their response to KTLA, the Councilmember's office did not explain the discrepancy between its first response, saying the documents existed, and its most recent update, saying they did not. The city's response to the public records request, already longer than the standard turnaround time for such a request, has raised concerns about the transparency of the city government on social media. Defense lawyer and legal expert Allison Triesl states to KTLA: 'I can think of nothing more central to the conduct of the people's business than knowing why Los Angeles County was ill-prepared to combat one of the greatest natural disasters in this State's history.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
MO State Rep. introduces bill to cut childhood poverty in half
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Representative, Ray Reed announced Monday a bill that seeks to cut childhood poverty in half for Missouri children. During a Missouri General Assembly special session, Reed introduced the 'Missouri Child Tax Credit' bill in hopes for the state to invest in Missouri's low-income and working-class families. Potential Royals move to Kansas sparks mixed reaction in Overland Park 'At a time when we're considering investing nearly a billion dollars to retain a football team, I believe we must also ask ourselves what kind of state we want to be. If we have the resources to build stadiums, we have the resources to build stronger futures for Missouri's kids,' Rep. Reed, said. The statement comes on the same day Jackson County legislators approved the 2025 Jackson County budget, which included investments in community needs such affordable housing and health equity, according to Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. The child tax credit seeks to provide direct payments to low-income families with children under the age of 18-years-old. Kansas City's Country Club Plaza struggles with closures and empty shops In a release form Reed's office, it states the bill is modeled after the 2021 Biden-Harris expansion that lifted more than three million children out of poverty nationwide. 'This bill isn't just about alleviating poverty—it's about unlocking potential,' Reed said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Where did 100,000 registered vehicles go in Shelby County?
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Here's a shocking statistic for you: There are 100,000 fewer registered vehicles on the roads in Shelby County this year than there were last year, according to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. 'Right now there are just under 600K vehicles in Shelby County, which is about a 100k drop from 12 months ago, and we need to make up that revenue this budget cycle,' Mayor Harris said in a recent budget presentation. That's a 17% drop in one year, and it's causing the county to lose millions in revenue. The question is, why? Harris proposed a $5 increase in county car registration fees to make up the difference, but couldn't explain where the vehicles went. 'This $5 increase will allow us to manage the unexpected drop in revenue we have seen, and the sudden and inexplicable reduction in the number of vehicles that are now registered in Shelby County,' Harris said. Mayor proposes tax cut in new Shelby County budget We have reached out to Shelby County Commissioners on their thoughts and are currently waiting to hear back, but state Rep. Mark White sees the drop off in car registration as a big problem. 'Something is missing there that is going unregistered, and that's causing the city of Memphis and Shelby County millions of dollars in lost revenue,' said White (R-Memphis). 'It's critical and we will have to find a solution to this.' White sees Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert as the problem. Many, including White, have tried to oust Halbert from her position. In January, the city failed to collect $7 million in additional driver registration fees, which created a shortfall in the city budget. White says he hopes voters come to the polls to make change in the midterms. Rep. Justin Pearson, NAACP aim to halt xAI project in Memphis 'I keep hoping that they bring in the right management, but that's an elected position,' White said. 'We've taken this all the way to the courts and the courts have dismissed it. … Now the citizens of Memphis are going to have to vote, and make sure you know who you are voting for to put the proper person in an office to run that.' WREG has requested an interview with Halbert, and we are currently working on scheduling that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Amid the horrific rise in Jew-hatred, the US Holocaust Museum must reexamine its role
The murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington and the attack on Jewish seniors, including Holocaust survivor Barbara Steinmetz, in Boulder, Colo., remind us that the lessons of the Holocaust remain unlearned. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum can help teach those lessons — if it concentrates on antisemitism as opposed to other hatreds, as it should, and goes beyond the Nazi horror. Advertisement Recall that the Holocaust occurred in European countries where ordinary citizens cooperated or stood indifferent to the mass murders of their neighbors. Today, after decades of proclaiming 'never again,' antisemitism in the US has hit a frightening new peak. The Holocaust Museum is supposed to educate about the dangers of antisemitism. Advertisement But as a proud member of its council, I know first-hand that it needs to do much more to fulfill that important role. The museum's weak connection to the Jewish people stems from its design, created when antisemitism seemed a thing of the past. Since then, it has shifted focus to combatting other forms of hate. The museum also provides no context of Jewish history before 1930 or after 1945. Advertisement And a planned multimillion-dollar renovation of the main exhibit hall could make the museum even more woke and disconnected. Frankly, the operation is in danger of becoming a liberal monument to the dangers of immigration enforcement and conservative politics. What the museum should be doing instead is teaching Americans that antisemitism is the world's oldest hatred, dating back 4,000 years when Nimrod is said to have thrown Abraham into a fiery furnace, and gaining steam with the rise of Christianity. More important, the museum needs to teach the story of Jewish survival; the founding of Israel in 1948, the wars of 1967 and 1973, and the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Advertisement It should cover pogroms that spurred the Zionist movement, helping make the case for the existence of a Jewish state. And it should emphasize America's cherished opportunities for Holocaust survivors and their families. Nineteen months after the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, the museum lacks focus on the ongoing crisis. It reaches thousands of teachers and visitors but teaches broadly about hate, and not enough about antisemitism in particular. It fails, for example, to address antisemitism's recent surge, particularly at US universities. A Harvard-Harris poll in April found 51% of American 18- to 24-year-olds favored Hamas over Israel. Clearly, the museum needs to do a better job of reaching and teaching young people about Israel, Jewish history and current events. Indeed, no metric shows the museum contributing to any reduction in antisemitism. Sadly, all signs suggest it is failing in this regard. Advertisement The good news: President Donald Trump has made combatting antisemitism a priority and has begun cleaning house at the museum. Last month, he removed several Biden appointees, including Ron Klain, Doug Emhoff, Tom Perez, Susan Rice, Jon Finer and Anthony Bernal, none of whom were suited for the council. Rice had politicized Biden's National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism by excluding anti-Zionism and including Islamophobia. Advertisement Finer called members of the Israeli government 'abhorrent,' slamming it at a meeting with Arab American leaders in Dearborn, Mich., last year. Emhoff, appointed just three days before Trump took office, resisted his removal, claiming it 'dishonors the memory of 6 million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.' That's nonsense: Replacing these partisan figures has nothing to do with the 6 million murdered Jews, the Holocaust survivors or their descendants. On the other hand, the new council members appointed by President Trump will bring expertise from their careers as well as their skills and their important values. Advertisement Again, the US Holocaust Museum was created to preserve the memory of the Shoah and protect future generations from violent antisemitism. To accomplish this at a time when Jews face their biggest threats in decades requires greater oversight by the council and a broader, bolder outlook that addresses today's emerging problems. It's time to rethink the facility's role and what it is supposed to do to combat antisemitism. Advertisement It's time make the US Holocaust Museum great again. Martin Oliner, a lawyer and the son of Holocaust survivors, was mayor of Lawrence village from 2010 to 2016.
