Latest news with #MarqueeceHarris-Dawson
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.
Los Angeles Times
26-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
BMO Stadium joins list of L.A. 2028 Olympic venues under updated host proposal
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. 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. 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. 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.' 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. 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. 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.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
L.A. City Council seeks crackdown on the N-word and C-word at meetings
For the last decade, the Los Angeles City Council chamber has been center stage for some of the meanest, most offensive messages delivered in an open government forum. A few speakers routinely hurl racial slurs, antisemitic phrases or other forms of verbal abuse at council members. They have attacked officials' looks, their weight, their clothes, their sexual orientation and their gender, curdling the proceedings on a regular basis. On Friday, seven council members took a first step toward pushing back on such language, signing a proposal to prohibit just two of the words. Under their proposal, initiated by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, audience members could be removed from meetings — or banned from attending future ones — for repeatedly uttering the racial slur known as the N-word or the sexist vulgarity known as the C-word. Harris-Dawson, who is Black, said the frequent use of those words during public comment has put a chill on civic participation, discouraging people from coming to the council's meetings, which take place three times a week. At times, the use of racist words has led to disruptions between audience members, he said. Harris-Dawson said his colleagues may add more prohibited words to the proposal as it is debated over the coming weeks. But he said those two words in particular "have no political value" — and are meant only to insult a person's immutable characteristics. "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," he said in an interview. The city has tried, at times, to put a stop to offensive behavior, only to lose in court. In 2014, for example, the city paid $215,000 to settle a free-speech lawsuit filed by a Black man who was ejected from a public meeting for wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and a T-shirt featuring the N-word. Read more: L.A. City Council president gets restraining order against man accused of racist threat Courts have been unwilling to allow local governments to restrict constitutionally protected speech during their meetings, said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and a constitutional law expert. The two words in the council proposal, while deeply offensive, are protected by the 1st Amendment, he said. "That said, a court might very well be willing to uphold a very narrow ban on these offensive words," Chemerinsky said in an email. Other experts were more dubious. Eugene Volokh, professor of law emeritus at UCLA School of Law, voiced doubts that the proposal would survive a constitutional challenge. LMU Loyola Law School professor Aaron H. Caplan, who specializes in the 1st Amendment, reached a similar conclusion. "I can feel some sympathy for the City Council," Caplan said. "But I feel like it would be pretty easy for a court to say, 'You cannot just have a list of a couple of prohibited words when there's lots and lots of other words that are just as offensive.' Then it becomes discrimination against certain viewpoints." Since becoming council president, Harris-Dawson has made clear that he intends to rein in what he described as bad behavior at meetings. In December, he told an audience at the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum that such efforts would help move the city out of its "Gotham city phase" — a reference to the lawless metropolis in the Batman comics and movies. Harris-Dawson's proposal would allow the council to issue a warning the first time an offending word is used at a council or committee meeting. If an audience member keeps saying the word, they could be removed from that meeting and possibly subsequent meetings, depending on the number of offenses. Over the last decade, only a few people have regularly used hate speech during public meetings. The most consistent offender is Armando Herman, who is barred from coming within 100 yards of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, where the county Board of Supervisors meets each week. A judge issued that order, which lasts until 2026, after four female supervisors said they received emails from Herman expressing interest in engaging in a sexual act. Herman denied sending the emails. Herman is known for spouting hateful words not just in the council's ornate chamber but at smaller committee meetings. On Tuesday, he used them in a tiny conference room at a meeting of the Executive Employee Relations Committee, which oversees labor negotiations and is made up of Mayor Karen Bass, Harris-Dawson and three other council members. Read more: L.A. County got a restraining order against a foul-mouthed gadfly. He denies making threats Seated across the table from Bass, who is Black, Herman used the N-word while criticizing spending on homelessness. Another speaker, while railing against Bass for being in Ghana when the Palisades fire erupted, pulled out an oversized dildo and used a vulgar word for the female anatomy. Herman responded to Harris-Dawson's proposal, first reported by the Westside Current, by delivering a fusillade of anti-Black phrases, including multiple N-words, during his remarks to the council. "Now that's protected speech," he said, before chanting President Trump's name several times. Attorney Wayne Spindler, another frequent public commenter, called the proposal illegal. "You tell me what to say, and I'll say it," he shouted at council members. "You tell me how to say it, and what to f— say. You tell me how to dress. You tell me how to walk. You tell me what language to listen to." Police arrested Spindler in 2016 after he turned in a public comment card featuring a drawing of a Klansman holding a noose, a man hanging from a tree and the N-word to describe then-City Council President Herb Wesson, who is Black. Wesson obtained a restraining order against Spindler that same year, but the L.A. County district attorney's office declined to file charges, citing free speech concerns. The city's elected officials have won restraining orders against other public speakers. In 2023, a judge issued an order requiring that Donald Harlan, who often spoke at meetings, stay at least 100 yards away from Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, his home, his office and his car. That case stemmed from a meeting where Blumenfield, who is Jewish, ordered Harlan removed for yelling from the audience. After being told to leave, Harlan screamed: 'Bob, you're f— dead, you f— Jew! I'm going to f— kill all your f— Jewish f— people!' Council members have received a number of complaints about racist language in recent weeks. Jorge Nuño, who was appointed to the city's new Charter Reform Commission, sent a letter to the council saying he and his family had to listen to profanity and anti-Black slurs while in the room for his confirmation hearing. "I felt bad for my parents," Nuño told The Times. "Because it was their first time at City Hall, and they're hearing all this stuff. It was pretty disturbing." Nuño later resigned from the post for unrelated reasons. Rob Quan, an organizer with the group Unrig LA, said he understands how upsetting the language at council meetings can be. But he argued that the public has been discouraged from attending meetings not just because of hate speech, but because of other actions taken by Harris-Dawson that reduce opportunities to speak. Harris-Dawson recently ended phone-in public comment, forcing residents to drive downtown to address their elected officials during meetings. The council president regularly puts a time limit on the amount of public comment permitted, Quan said. Quan predicted the city would spend a lot of time and money defending Harris-Dawson's measure in court — even as the tiny contingent of foul-mouthed commenters finds new and more creative ways to torment the council. Harris-Dawson said he conferred with free speech experts before drafting his measure. For now, he is declining to say what other words might be added to the proposal. "Attacking someone's personhood is not political speech. It's just an attack, that's all it is," he said. "We're going to try to get in all the terms." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
