Latest news with #MarqueeceHarris-Dawson
New York Post
02-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
LA City Council bans N-word at public meetings, triggering legal threats
Watch your mouth! The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to ban the use of the N-word and C-word at public meetings — triggering free speech backlash and the threat of a $400 million lawsuit. The controversial vote by the body allows council leadership to issue a warning for any use or variation of the slurs. Repeat offenders can be booted from the chamber and barred from future sessions. Advertisement Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is black and introduced the measure, said the use of slurs during public comments has made residents hesitant to attend meetings. 3 The council chamber where a 14–0 vote Wednesday banned use of the N-word and C-word during meetings, citing years of disruptive outbursts. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images 'It is language that, anywhere outside this building where there aren't four armed guards, would get you hurt if you said these things in public,' Harris-Dawson told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. Advertisement He added that public comment has become 'rank, cantankerous, and rude and demeaning and insulting' since Donald Trump's election in 2016, according to the LAist. The Wednesday ban is already drawing legal threats. Wayne Spindler, an attorney and longtime City Hall commenter, said Wednesday he intends to sue. 3 Critics of the new rule, including frequent City Hall speakers, claimed the city was infringing on free speech and promised legal challenges. Getty Images Advertisement 'I'm going to file my $400-million lawsuit that I already have prepared and ready to file,' Spindler said during public comment, adding he plans to read explicit Tupac Shakur lyrics until he's banned from a meeting. Spindler was arrested in 2016 after submitting a public comment card showing a burning cross, a man hanging from a tree and the phrase 'Herb = [N-word],' referring to then-Council President Herb Wesson. Prosecutors declined to bring charges. David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, warned the council's policy likely won't survive in court. 3 Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said offensive speech has surged since 2016, creating a chilling effect on civic engagement. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Advertisement 'The First Amendment prohibits the government from censoring speech because it disapproves of that speech,' Loy wrote in a letter to the City Council. The city has lost similar battles before. In 2014, it paid $215,000 to a black man who was removed from a meeting for wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and a T-shirt with the N-word. The new rule took effect immediately.
Mint
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Federal troops' show of force at MacArthur Park, Los Angeles; Mayor calls it a 'political stunt'
A number of federal officers in tactical gear, backed by 90 California National Guard members and a convoy of 17 Humvees, stormed Los Angeles' MacArthur Park on Monday (July 7) in a surprise immigration operation that left residents stunned and officials outraged. For roughly an hour, troops swept through the mostly empty park — located in a dense immigrant neighborhood west of downtown — in what officials described as a show of protection for immigration enforcement agents. It remains unclear if any arrests were made. 'This morning looked like a staging for a TikTok video,' said Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. 'If Border Patrol wants to film in LA, you should apply for a film permit like everybody else — and stop trying to scare the bejesus out of everybody.' Mayor Karen Bass condemned the show of force as 'a political stunt,' visibly shaken as she described the impact on families in the park. 'What I saw in the park today looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation,' Bass said. 'The world needs to see the troop formation on horses walking through the park… where the children play.' She added that a frightened 8-year-old boy attending a nearby day camp told her he feared ICE agents. The raid took place in a neighborhood long known for its vibrant immigrant community — dubbed by officials as the 'Ellis Island of the West Coast' for its concentration of Mexican, Central American, and Asian families. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes the park, said the area was targeted 'precisely because of who lives there and what it represents.' Health outreach workers reported being confronted at gunpoint by federal officers while working with homeless residents. Vendors and locals fled the area as helicopters circled overhead and mounted units swept soccer fields. 'It's terror and, you know, it's ripping the heart and soul out of Los Angeles,' said Betsy Bolte, a nearby resident who rushed to the scene. 'I am still in shock, disbelief, and so angry and terrified and heartbroken.' President Donald Trump, who deployed thousands of troops and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles last month, has accelerated efforts to fulfill his pledge of mass deportations. Monday's raid follows a wave of immigration arrests and a hardline stance against so-called 'sanctuary cities.' 'This is not about going after dangerous criminals,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom. 'This is about destroying the fabric of this state.' Newsom called the military deployment a 'spectacle' that undermines California's values and autonomy. Legal advocates say the raid felt more like a media stunt than a serious enforcement action. 'This was a reality TV spectacle much more so than an actual enforcement operation,' said Chris Newman, legal director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. 'The ghost town-ification of LA is haunting, to say the very least.' Federal officials claimed the troops were there to protect immigration officers from potential unrest, not to make arrests — though they admitted the operation might 'look like' a military maneuver.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"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.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
L.A. city says no digital communications exist for acting mayor during the Palisades Fire
Months after the wildfires scorched a path of destruction through several Los Angeles County communities, the city of L.A. says no digital communications exist for the acting mayor during a critical period of the Palisades Fire. KTLA has been pursuing public records requests for key officials involved in both fire incidents, from the initial response to the aftermath, with some requests facing significant delays. One outstanding request from KTLA targeted Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who served as acting mayor during the Palisades Fire while Mayor Karen Bass was out of the country. KTLA had sought communications from Harris-Dawson to gain insight into his response during those critical hours. Deleted messages, disappearing chats, and a firestorm of L.A. controversy The initial request, filed weeks after the fires, sought 'ANY digital communications (including email/ text/ WhatsApp/ or other) originating FROM or TO Harris-Dawson over a period of days' related to the Palisades Fire, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the mayor, or former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley. The request was intentionally broad to encompass various topics an acting mayor might address during a wildfire crisis. On March 11, KTLA resubmitted the request after receiving no response. The office stated the request was too complex for a 10-day turnaround and required an additional 14 days, with a new response date of March 22. On March 21, KTLA was informed, 'We have records that match your request and will review them and provide them no later than May 21, 2025.' KTLA expressed concern about the additional two months needed and was told the office was processing a 'higher than normal amount' of public records requests. However, on May 19, months after the fires, KTLA received a one-sentence email from the City Council member's office stating, 'We have reviewed your search criteria and have found no responsive records matching your search parameters. This request is closed.' This means no emails, texts, or other digital communications from Harris-Dawson related to the Palisades Fire, the LAFD, the mayor, or the former fire chief were provided for the requested period. Harris-Dawson's office did not explain why they initially stated on March 21 that matching documents existed, only to later claim no responsive records were found. KTLA is not alone in this experience. The Los Angeles Times received a similar response from Harris-Dawson's office regarding a separate request related to the wildfires, as reported in their article, 'How much did Bass talk to her acting mayor while she was in Ghana?' KTLA continues to pursue requests with other agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. Legal expert Alison Triessl commented on the public records process and KTLA's efforts, stating, 'Since its inception in 1968, The California Public Records Act was enacted to promote public access to public records. As the Act clearly states, 'access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state.' 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.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BMO Stadium to host two more 2028 Olympics sports under updated venue proposal
BMO Stadium, previously known as Banc of California Stadium, is expected to host flag football and lacrosse during the 2028 Olympics. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) The city of Los Angeles and LA28 moved closer to locking in venues hosting the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Wednesday, including finding a home for two of the Games' newest sports. An L.A. City Council ad hoc committee approved updated venue plans presented by LA28, the private organization responsible for hosting the 2028 Games. LA28 has shuffled some sporting event locations in an effort to drive up revenue and reduce risk. Advertisement Much of the revised venue plan was revealed during the summer , but changes to the original Games agreement reached when Los Angeles earned the right to host the 2028 Olympics had not yet been approved by the City Council. The adjustments from the Games agreement include moving basketball to the Intuit Dome and Olympic swimming to SoFi Stadium and shifting gymnastics to Arena. LA28 filed revisions to last July's plans on March 14, placing flag football and lacrosse at BMO Stadium and moving sitting volleyball from Pauley Pavilion to Long Beach Arena. Read more: Can fire-torn L.A. handle the World Cup, Super Bowl and Summer Olympics? Shuffling basketball to the new Inglewood venue that did not exist during the original bid for the Games allows artistic gymnastics, one of the Summer Games' premier events, to be in front of a crowd of roughly 20,000 compared to the Forum's approximately 17,000. The downtown arena also has a larger floor space than the Forum, which was originally supposed to host gymnastics competitions. Advertisement The initial bid called for a temporary pool to be built on USC's campus to house Olympic swimming, but the school has instead started construction on a football facility. Following the success of the 2024 U.S. swimming trials in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, LA28 proposed moving Olympic swimming into Inglewood's NFL stadium that will host a second Super Bowl in 2027. Using existing sports venues to keep expenses down while maximizing ticket sales is critical for LA28, which has promised to foot the estimated $7-billion Olympics bill through ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, merchandise and International Olympic Committee contributions. But city and state legislators have agreed to be a financial backstop. The City could be responsible for up to $270 million for any debt for the Games, with further expense going to the state and then back to Los Angeles taxpayers. 'We absolutely cannot afford that under any circumstance,' City Council president and ad hoc chair Marqueece Harris-Dawson said during the meeting. 'We can't even afford half of that, much less the full strength. So we have to make sure this is done and done right and done in a way like 1984 where the city of L.A. is left with assets as a result of the Summer Games as opposed to debt.' Read more: L.A. 2028 Olympics organizers say they are making significant fundraising progress Advertisement While the 1984 Games generated a profit of more than $250 million, the world's largest sporting event has grown in scope during the past four decades. Instead of 21 sports, L.A. will host 36 Olympic sports in 2028 and the United States' first Paralympics. The size of the Games has necessitated moving some events outside of city limits, including Inglewood and Long Beach, while adding the San Fernando Valley for the first time. The Sepulveda Basin will now host modern pentathlon, BMX, skateboarding and 3x3 basketball, while the latest proposal moved canoe slalom to an existing venue in Oklahoma City, equestrian to Temecula and shooting and para shooting to a venue that has not been determined outside of the city. In the original Games plan proposed before the construction of BMO Stadium, the venue was meant to house preliminary rounds for soccer. But the qualifying matches will now be held in stadiums across the country, as has been common during recent Olympics. Read more: L.A. 2028 Summer Olympics add SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome to revamped venue plan Advertisement Flag football, which will make its Olympic debut, and lacrosse, which has not been a medal sport in the Olympics since 1908, will share BMO Stadium and bring more days of competition and more medal matches to the downtown area. They were among the new sports added to the Olympic program in October 2023 and not included on the last summer's initial venue release. Among other Olympic newcomers, squash and cricket have yet to be placed into venues for the 2028 Games, while LA28 has not finalized the location for baseball or the soccer finals. Softball, which re-joined the Olympic program in a joint bid with baseball, will be hosted in Oklahoma City, the site of the Women's College World Series. The updated venue plan would save about $156 million, according to LA28. While increasing the total number of tickets at events held inside the city, the new plan will also lower the percentage of tickets sold by 5%, according to a joint report from the city administration officer and chief legislative analyst dated Nov. 12, 2024. Read more: 'America will be open': Casey Wasserman assures IOC visa issues won't plague 2028 L.A. Olympics Advertisement The report called for LA28 to "conduct an independent economy impact study to highlight the anticipated impacts of the 2028 Games on the city and the region, which incorporates the requested venue changes, added sport disciplines and lessons learned from the 2024 Paris Games." The report is to be submitted to the city of Los Angeles no later than June 30. The city is moving forward with Olympic planning while assisting with rebuilding following devastating wildfires. 'I know firsthand the energy and inspiration Los Angeles brings to the world. Look, the 2028 Olympics is about ensuring our city, the creative capital of the world, is at the heart of this global experience," Harris-Dawson said in a statement. "We will remain focused on our recovery work while investing smartly and opening doors of opportunity for our communities. We are not just preparing for the world to visit us — we're setting the stage to inspire the world, as only Los Angeles can." With the Games set to begin in about three-and-a-half years, finalizing the plan for venues is a top priority before moving forward with other key concerns, including transportation and event operations. The full City Council will vote on the updated venue plan Friday and final confirmation of the plan is expected after review and approval from the International Olympic Committee executive board on April 9. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
