Latest news with #Medrano
Los Angeles Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Spain cancels contract for anti-tank missiles built by Israeli subsidiary
MADRID — Spain has canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of $325 million. The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, according to local press. 'The goal is clear...a total disconnection from Israeli technology,' government spokesperson Pilar Alegría told reporters, adding the government is studying 'the effects of the cancellation.' Israel's Defense Ministry referred questions on the decision to Rafael, which told the Associated Press it wasn't aware of the cancellation. Pap Tecnos, located on the outskirts of Madrid, did not comment. Spain approved the deal on Oct. 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza. Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced for up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies. Spain's leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of Oct. 2, 2023, but there where reports some shipments slipped through. United States late last year opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain denied port entry to at least three cargo vessels reportedly transporting U.S. weapons to Israel. Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top United Nations court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza. Israel strongly denies the charge. Medrano writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Cypress deadlocks on seeking info related to allegations against its city manager
The Cypress City Council held a special meeting on Monday in the wake of misconduct allegations that have hounded City Manager Peter Grant for the past month. The panel discussed whether to direct City Atty. Fred Galante to turn over any documents related to possible complaints made by Doug Dancs, a former Public Works director who called for Grant's firing during an April 28 council meeting after he accused him of unspecified 'unlawful acts.' Galante interrupted Dancs when he spoke out on April 28 and called his brief comments 'inappropriate' while cautioning that they should not be made in a public setting. The agenda item Monday also called for the full report of any investigation and other related documents. 'We've got a very simple choice today,' said Mayor David Burke, who called the special meeting. 'We can choose to bury our heads in the sand, engage in willful ignorance about alleged misconduct and put even more of our residents' tax dollars at risk. Or we can take the other path, and choose to be responsible leaders who handle accusations and misconduct appropriately.' After less than 30 minutes of deliberation, the council deadlocked on a 2-2 vote. Mayor Pro Tem Leo Medrano was not in attendance. Several people TimesOC spoke with saw Medrano attend a Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club meeting at a Cerritos IHOP at the same time as the special meeting. Medrano did not return a TimesOC request for comment by press time. Burke considered continuing the discussion to a future meeting when Medrano could participate, but his council colleagues Bonnie Peat and Scott Minikus wanted to press forward. Questions surrounding Dancs' allegations, separation agreement and what may have preceded his departure continued to be made by concerned residents at the special meeting. Peat asked speakers addressing the City Council to identify whether they lived in Cypress or not, a request Burke did not endorse. Most of the speakers, like Paul Kokkinos, noted themselves as Cypress residents anyway. 'Our city is a wonderful place to live, and, overall, the city operates in a solid way,' said Kokkinos, who is a Republican supporter of the mayor. 'Mr. Grant has a significant amount of supporters. But none of this matters. What matters is a previously secret $183,000 separation agreement with Doug Dancs that has now been surrounded by a serious — and let's call it for what it is — cover up.' Minikus, when serving as mayor, signed Dancs' separation agreement in October. The document, which is a public record, included a confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement but also allowed Dancs to discuss 'information about unlawful acts in the workplace.' David Loy, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, reviewed a copy of the agreement provided to him by TimesOC. 'Nothing prevents Dancs from talking about allegedly unlawful acts in the workplace in any form that he wishes, be it at a city council meeting, on social media, in a newspaper or to law enforcement,' he said. 'If it turned out that he was wrong and the facts that he shared were absolutely false, the city could potentially say that he breached the contract, but that's not grounds, as I see it, for prior restraint.' During the special meeting, Minikus claimed that Burke, like others on council last year, was privy to the circumstances surrounding Dancs' agreement and criticized his fact-finding push as political theater. 'Your only intention here is to get the information and then leak it out to your friends at the L.A. Times,' Minikus told Burke. 'You're so incredibly unethical in pulling this forward when it's already been settled and done.' Despite the fact she was serving on the panel at the same time as the separation agreement with Dancs was made, Frances Marquez, who left the City Council in December, stated after Dancs' made the allegations on April 28 that she had no knowledge of his separation agreement. That Minikus and others apparently did, she argued, only serves to bolster her legal claims against the city for being singled out and retaliated against during her term of office. 'As I stated in my pending lawsuit in federal court, I have been very clear that I have been unlawfully treated differently than my colleagues,' she said in a statement to TimesOC. Prior to the special meeting, TimesOC filed a public records request for any documents related to misconduct or harassment claims involving Dancs and Grant. Cypress had not formally acknowledged receiving the request as of press deadline. Dancs could not be reached for comment. Peat spoke against directing Galante to provide the council with any documents related to the matter. 'If you feel that everything that's been done was appropriate and handled the right way, why wouldn't you want the council and our residents to have proof of that?' Burke asked Peat. Peat acknowledged that Cypress should have put out a public statement at the time the agreement was signed, but that was as far as she was willing to go. 'I think our attorneys, I'll just say, gave us the information that we need to understand the issue and to move forward,' Peat said. 'Do I think [these documents] hould go out to the public? Absolutely not.' Burke quipped that the vote would resemble the satirical headline of an Onion article. 'City Council votes to keep information hidden from itself,' he said. Peat disagreed with that framing of the discussion before voting with Minikus against directing Galante to disclose documents. Burke and Councilmember Kyle Chang voted to do so in the deadlock. If they want to continue the discussion they will have to put it on a future council meeting agenda.
Business Journals
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Journals
GALA Hispanic Theatre thrives as it enters its 50th season
GALA Hispanic Theatre has put on some of the seminal works of theater in Spanish, from 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' to the first ever production of 'On Your Feet!' in Spanish over its 50-year lifespan. But where the D.C. theater also shines is debuting new work or updating the classics to be relevant to local and modern audiences. Take 'Choke: Sucede hasta en las mejores familias,' a play by Emilio Infante that artistic director Gustavo Ott knew he wanted to put on even before he arrived at GALA in the winter of 2024. He discovered the play in Texas, where it told the multigenerational story of a family whose health is plagued by the oil refinery where its patriarch worked for years. When staged at GALA, it depicts a Hispanic family living in the shadow of a factory in Baltimore, one whose wages helped the family's children move out and up in the world. It portrays the same themes of environmental justice, and family, as the original. The show runs through May 18 and tickets are available on GALA's website. 'There's a very interesting parallel between the struggle within the family and the struggle of the family with the corporation,' Ott said. 'So it's about family, but it's also a political play and that's why we thought that it would be a very good selection for the season — which we already thought would have to be a political season because of what's going on.' That season included 'Fuenteovejuna,' a play about the people uprising against a military dictator in 15th-century Spain; and 'Once Upon a Time…And Two Are Three!', a Dominican folk tale that tells the history of the culture we now call 'Latin American.' expand Opening night of 'Choke' at GALA Hispanic Theatre. Courtesy GALA Even 'Botiquín de Boleros de Columbia Heights,' a musical planned for later this season that will celebrate the quintessential Spanish language ballads, touches on issues of the day by setting the historic play in a bar in GALA's home neighborhood of Columbia Heights that is trying to reopen after COVID-19. The play breaks the fourth wall by opening the 'auditions' for bolero singers for the bar to audience members — and also creating a call and response between the singers and the crowd. 'It's about Covid, but it's also about letting people have a good time,' Medrano said. 'It's a show. It's theater but it's also karaoke.' The show runs June 11-29 and tickets are available here. The company that Medrano co-founded all those years ago with her late husband Hugo Medrano — who died suddenly in 2023 and had been GALA's only artistic director — will take that energy into its 50th season; Rebecca Medrano notes ruefully that she always expected Hugo to be around for. To honor him, they are putting on some of the most iconic shows GALA has ever produced, including 'Kiss of the Spider Woman,' which portrays two inmates in a Buenos Aires prison, including one who is a political prisoner. The play, which Hugo starred in as Molina, was the first Spanish language play to win a local theater association Helen Hayes award in 1994. Next up is 'The House of Bernarda Alba,' another tale of persecution — are you picking up on the theme — which GALA previously staged in 1984 and 1997. The season will move onto new, modern works, including one called 'Aguardiente' that GALA commissioned from director and choreographer Luis Salgado. The play explores the identity of Puerto Rico, as well as Colombia, as Caribbean nations and their relationship to the U.S., seen through the lens of two struggling writers who are in New York. Those shows and others will run alongside several others, as well as the near-constant children's programming at GALA; they put on shows for children called Galita, and also host Paso Nuevo, which is a free after-school theater program for D.C. children. Medrano and Ott, whose partner, Heather McKay, runs the education programs, see those programs as critical to shoring up GALA's future — which is why potential budget cuts in D.C. could be so devastating. 'I think we're going to need individuals to step up,' Medrano said. The theater company will host its annual gala June 2; Noche de Estrellas will honor screen and theater actor Fernanda Castillo; tickets here. As far as the longer-term future goes, Ott hopes to eventually create more space for GALA to operate — a second building that can host more educational programs and events, maybe even a whole Hispanic Cultural Center for the Arts. 'We're not going to disappear. In the down times, that's when we thrive. People are committed to the theater.' he said. We treat theater as a church because it's faith that moves us, nothing else. We're the faithful, and you won't find anybody better than us at building community.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Commanders Late-Round LB Raising Kain With Player to Watch Ranking
The Washington Commanders already have one of the more elite linebackers in the game today with Bobby Wagner leading their defensive unit. With Wagner in the twilight of his career, though, the Commanders need to have a succession plan in line and ready for when the future Hall-of-Famer is officially looking to call it a career. Advertisement Some people believe Washington found that in late round selection Kain Medrano on the final day of the 2025 selection process. While Medrano doesn't come with the kind of pressure usually reserved for top picks, some believe he is the top name to watch for the Commanders' draft class. Pro Football Focus writer Mason Cameron, in particular, named Medrano as the draft pick to watch for the Commanders this season. "Medrano is built more like a strong safety than a true linebacker, but he tested out as an elite athlete with outstanding speed and explosiveness," Cameron said. "However, his struggles as a tackler will be an issue, with his 20.7% career missed tackle rate charting in the last percentile. "Play strength will always be a question, but Medrano can match up against tight ends in man coverage, which could be his ticket to sticking on the roster. But that also relies largely on his ability to make an impact on special teams." Advertisement So ... the kid is raising Kain? Wagner is 34 years old. While he is coming off a great first season with Washington, there's no guarantee he'll be able to continue to produce at a high level moving forward. Bringing in Medrano was a no-brainer for the organization. Whether it's for the 2025 season or beyond. Related: Commanders Draft Wild-Card Sleeper For Kliff Kingsbury Offense Related: Commanders Jayden Prediction on Sophomore Slump Gets Scrutiny
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Elon Musk's SpaceX may take over a corner of the Texas coast
SpaceX is shooting for Mars, with Elon Musk's rocket company racing to bring humanity closer to being a multi-planetary species. Back here on Earth, the leader of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is hoping his company gets a chance to start a government of its own in Texas. Starbase is where SpaceX researches, launches and tests rockets and it could soon become the newest town in America. However, this wouldn't be your typical town; it would be a company community now filled with mostly SpaceX employees. It's less than two square miles in size and it butts right up to a Texas state nature preserve and Boca Chica Beach along the Gulf Shore. MORE: SpaceX successfully launches 1st humans to travel over Earth's poles Last year, a petition was submitted to the state of Texas by SpaceX to create a new town; the new municipality would function as its own city with the ability to create its own fire department and emergency services, even a school district. A few hundred current registered residents, including Musk himself who is registered to vote at an address within the proposed town, are now voting on making it official -- what was once a small, sleepy beach community on the outskirts of Brownsville, Texas, could be officially known as Starbase City. Brownsville resident Rene Medrano's home sits 20 miles from the coast. Having gone to Boca Chica Beach as a kid and bringing his own family once he got older, Medrano told ABC News it's in his blood. "It was called a poor man's beach because you didn't have to pay anything to go to the beach other than just get in your car, get in your truck, round up the neighbors, round up the cousins, round up the aunts and uncles and let's go have fun," he said. "And to see now the way it is…it's just, disheartening is what it is." SpaceX had its first Starship launch in April 2023; successfully coming off and clearing the launch pad, then losing control of its super heavy booster engines. The company said it triggered Starship's flight termination system after the boosters failed to separate and it veered off its planned trajectory. MORE: SpaceX Dragon successfully splashes down, returning NASA astronauts back to Earth However, the company was laying the groundwork for something much bigger more than a decade ago. Medrano recalled a SpaceX representative going to his wife's school to pitch a "small test site" in 2014, but said the person told locals the beach would remain accessible to them. "Who would ever think they wanted to go to Mars 10 years later?" he said. "I mean, that was never in the formula. You know?" Since 2014, SpaceX has had eight launches from Boca Chica with staggered success. Now, the company is asking the FAA to grant permits that would allow SpaceX to launch up to 25 times a year. "You have a lot of visitors that go to the island to see the rocket launches. But then those people leave," Medrano said. "We see the spaceship blowups. We see the environments, you know, with all the rocket launches being torn up around that area. We see Boca Chica Beach the way we knew it -- we don't know that place anymore." Bekah Hinojosa, who leads a local environmental group, told ABC News that SpaceX has disrupted everyday life in the area. "The rocket launches are dangerous. They cause our homes to shake. SpaceX has been caught illegally dumping polluted water onto Boca Chica Beach, into our ecosystems," she said. "The rent is going up. And it's all associated with, you know, SpaceX coming into this area and colonizing the region." MORE: Is Trump and Musk's goal of sending humans to Mars feasible? If this area becomes its own municipality, SpaceX wants control of the nearby beach and road that leads to the spaceport. Bills proposed in the Texas legislature would give Starbase the power to close beaches and roads on weekdays. Texas State Rep. Janie Lopez, who authored a bill related to Starbase, testified during an April 14 committee hearing that it won't take Boca Chica Beach away from the public. "All it's doing is, if the people decide on May 3 that they want to make their own municipality, then they will decide who will be their governing board and they will make the decisions on closures based on what the FAA is requiring." There is real concern at the cost of SpaceX's ambitions for those who call the area home -- Medrano pointed to the state's Open Beaches Act, which guarantees free public access to its sandy shores. "Give us the beach … I mean, what's so hard about that?" he said. "Go to Mars, do your thing, get your rockets and go. But let us do our thing too." ABC News reached out to SpaceX for comment, but has not heard back. How Elon Musk's SpaceX may take over a corner of the Texas coast originally appeared on
